The Spyro Chronicles: A New Legecy SE
by NewLegend1
Summary: With Malefor's defeat, the realms is finally at peace... but it won't last. As a distant war smashes into the Realms, Spyro must unlock the true nature of the purple dragon if he is to stop both the war and life as we know it! T for Language and Violence.
1. The Legend of Spyro

A re-launch of my series tailored to the ending to Dawn of the Dragon. WARNING!!! This chapter contains a detailed description of the ending to The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon! If you wish to not have the ending spoiled for you, I advise you do not read this until you have!

For those of you who have finished, or just don't care to finish first, I invite you inside… the tale begins…

Part 1- Prologue

A day begins and a day ends. A life begins and a life ends. A journey begins, and a legend is forged. The world around us is always changing. Things begin… and things end. Sometimes however… endings are just the start of something bigger… bolder… and higher. Not only does the world around us change… but people do as well. Ordinary people… ordinary dragons… all serve purposes. We are all just pawns in the world… but sometimes we can do more then just do simple tasks… Sometimes we are called upon to do great things… to see these things… is a different story… but sometimes legends can be forged out of those willing to take the path.

Many never started their journey… some quit halfway. However, there are those select few who finish it all the way… and in the end… it is those who we will look up to. It is they who we shall rely on. It is they who shall save us all.

**The Spyro Chronicles:**

**A New Legacy**

Chapter 1- The Legend of Spyro

Human Colony World Sirus 12, Zeta Reticuli System

March 2, 2204

1132 Hours

2 miles East of Alpagee City

The rolling green grass moved in the wind and the bright light from the star Zeta Reticuli flashed across the scene. The city of Alpagee sat in the distance, the fields running its outskirts dividing the city from the mountain range in the distance.

The calm was broken by several fast moving aircraft. The aircraft speed across the fields, their jet engines flaring to keep them aloft. The United Earth Republic emblem shined brightly on the aircraft and the letters 'UERMC' were distinguishable in their black coating compared to the grey aircraft. The twin-tailed aircraft was kept aloft by two jet engines that were rotating disks on the aircraft's wings. The disk-like engine could turn to accommodate any desired angle of flight and separate engines on its belly pushed it forward.

On either side of the aircraft there was an opening where a machine gun protruded from the sides and in the rear, an open troop bay revealed several UER Marines sitting inside. Each was decked out for a fight and was ready for anything.

_"Approaching objective, keep formation. 30 seconds."_ The radio piece in Private Joshua Karson's ear sounded off and he looked out the bay of the aircraft, watching the grass stroll on by.

"Those scalies control the city! Keep a lookout; the landing zone is going to be pretty hot!" Karson's platoon leader, Lieutenant Baker yelled from his seat. Karson pulled back on the loading mechanism to his M74D assault rifle and shot one more glance out the troop bay.

The grassy fields were replaced with the buildings and streets of Alpagee. The city streets were filled with cars and had a lack of activity. The grey scenery was not as appealing as the green grasses of the fields along the outskirts. Larger buildings started to appear and the aircraft swerved to the right and Karson caught sight of a small shopping center nearby.

The drop ships touched down in the parking lot of the shopping center and Karson and the rest of the men in the troop bay got up from their seats and jumped onto the concrete parking lot below. They scanned the area with their rifles and Karson got into a crouched position. The drop ships lifted up and left the soldiers standing in the parking lot. One of the Marines in the group stood up.

"Alright Alpha Company, let's move out! Let's use the cover of that overpass!" Lieutenant Jonathan Wagner, his CO, yelled over the engines of the Nighthawk Drop Ships as they lifted up and away. They started to run across the parking lot and as they did, Nighthawks and UERNF Raven and Marine Raptor fighters flew overhead, their jet engines sounding out over the sounds of battle not far away.

As they neared the nearby overpass, they fell under attack.

Globs of dark energy and scores of energy fire exploded from nearby buildings and from an entrenched position on the opposite side of the parking lot.

"Contacts! Enemy troops!" One of the Sergeants bellowed and the Marines fired their assault rifles back at the enemies.

Karson raised his own M74D and pointed it at the hostiles on the road. He squeezed the trigger and the barrel of his rifle flashed as he fired. Empty bullet casings fell from the rifle and clouds of smoke appeared where his bullets struck the concrete.

The enemies in question returned fire. They were menacing creatures… not human… not any creature Karson had ever seen before now. They were reptilian in nature… with purple scales, bipedal, a grey vest and bright, shiny, silver armor. They called themselves 'Lakadors'. The Lakador soldiers held onto weapons that spewed spheres of dark energy and bolts of heated gases at their enemies. It wouldn't be so bad if they weren't shooting at him!

He dropped onto the ground and lay down in a 'prone' position. He squeezed the trigger again and the rifle flashed once more and loud tat, tat, tat, sounds spat from the weapon. His gunfire was joined by several others and the air was filled with tracers and enemies.

As he fired, two Marines to his left took a few of the dark spheres to the chest and toppled to the ground.

"Man down! Corpsman!" Another Marine yelled as he crouched over the fallen soldiers and fired his M10 Sub Machine Gun.

A few grenades detonated near the Lakadors and they screamed and flew through the air. Karson stood up and reloaded his rifle, trying to dash behind a car for better protection.

"On your feet! We have to take out that position down by the overpass!" His platoon leader shouted. Karson fired off a short, un-aimed burst from his rifle before sprinting with a dozen other Marines to a building overlooking a Lakador position next to the overpass.

The enemy position was a crater fitted with a barricade which provided them with cover. They fired from the opposite side of the barricade to the Marines and the street they were in was in-between the overpass and a two story building, making flanking impossible. However, they had to take that thing out.

"Karson, Jackson, Daniels! Take out that position! Move up on three!" Karson got ready, as did the other two Marines with him. He waited for his commander to give the order.

"Now! Shift your fire!" The Marines shifted their field of fire to give them a clear path. Karson and the other two Marines dashed from their cover and slapped their backs against the two story building next to the position. Due to the location of the position, and the building's walls, they couldn't hit it from here. They'd have to do something drastic.

Daniels pulled out two Fragmentation grenades and looked at Karson and Jackson. They understood. They waited a bit and Karson hit Daniels in the back of his head on his helmet, the signal to run. The soldier dashed across the open and Karson and Jackson fired their rifles at the Lakadors, trying to keep them from shooting Daniels. Miraculously, the soldier made it to the other side and ducked behind a small column. The Lakadors tried their hardest to shoot him which gave Karson and Jackson a perfect opportunity to move up. They got into position and fired at the Lakadors.

While Karson reloaded his rifle he watched as Daniels pulled the pins to both Frag Grenades and dashed into the open. He chucked the grenades into the Lakador position and rolled in front of the barricade. The grenades detonated and dirt and debris rained upon the Marine. The Lakadors screamed as the grenades released tiny metal fragments which peppered them and they were tossed from their position.

"Move out, let's go, let's go!" Lieutenant Wagner yelled. Karson, Jackson and Daniels recovered and climbed over the barricade. They walked over the dead reptiles and proceeded to firing short bursts into the bodies to make sure they were dead. They fired more bursts as they dashed to a car a few feet from their position that faced the street ahead. As they moved to the position, a few more Lakadors ran into the open, taking cover behind cars down the road.

Karson looked over to the company CO, Wagner. He was in charge of them and Karson was waiting for him to give his next order. Wagner dashed over to the car and crouched right next to Karson as he reloaded his rifle. A few Nighthawks flew overhead and before the young Marine knew it, more gunfire and explosions happened all around.

"All platoons, prepare to take those buildings on the-" Wagner was cut off as a bright light flashed before them all. Karson shielded his eyes and tried to make out the point of origin. The light dimmed enough to where Karson saw a bright star flashing in the sky. This was odd, only the star Zeta Reticuli was supposed to be visible in the day, because it was the only star in the system. A new star? Was it an explosion in space? Was it some sort of meteor? As Karson ran many explanations through his head, he kept getting farther and farther from the truth.

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Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

March 2, 2204

1202 Hours

1000 feet above Malefor's lair

"It has begun!"

"Oh no, we're too late!" Spyro said, looking down upon the planet beneath them.

"Welcome to the end of the world…" Malefor said as the Destroyer climbed into the volcano- completing its world-wide trek. A beam shot forth from the volcano, striking the island that carried Malefor's lair aloft. Spyro and Cynder felt the rush of the volcanic ash and energy as it swept past them. The planet began to slowly crack beneath them.

They tumbled onto a platform and gave all they had against Malefor. Once more they evaded his strikes. Finally they got atop him and grabbed each other. They formed a powerful ball of energy which they used against Malefor. They hit him and he was sent downwards more.

The battleground in which they fought now descended into the depths of the volcano and Malefor once more went at them… this time trying to use a shield to protect himself. However, this failed…

They broke his shield and he fell to the ground. Cynder struck him with a beam of purple energy which stunned him. Spyro dashed forward and made his final move. The platform broke and they were in free fall downwards.

As they spiraled downwards, they looked at each other, wondering what to do next. As they did this, Malefor sprung up from behind them and pressed them against the walls of the volcano. Spyro applied every last ounce of energy left in him and pushed back. Together, they forced him off of them and they both collided into him and with great force, pushed him into the heart of the volcano.

They flew into the heart and beneath them sat a large purple gemstone. Malefor flapped his wings and looked at them with hate.

"You cannot defeat me! I am eternal!" He shouted at them. He fired his beam of darkness and Spyro and Cynder did the same. They collided with each other in a fury of purple lights.

"Just… hang… on!" Spyro managed to say while outputting an exponential amount of energy.

Soon, they overpowered Malefor and he was sent onto the purple gem, only to get back to his feet. Suddenly purple silhouettes of dragons emerged from the purple gem and surrounded the Dark Master.

"What is this?" Malefor asked, eyeing each of the new threats. They flew at him and Malefor began to sink into the crystal.

"NOOOOO!!!" He yelled as he sank into the gemstone's depths. The snakes binding Spyro and Cynder faded away and they were free once more.

It was over… he was defeated. But their job was not over yet.

"Spyro… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" Cynder said, referring to the fact that it had been she who had lured Spyro into freeing the Dark Master once more.

"Don't be. It's over now." Spyro said in a forgiving tone.

The purple gem outputted large amounts of energy which split the cavern walls. The walls gave way to reveal the blackness of space.

"So this is it?" Cynder asked, looking at the bright sun and stars in space.

"Spyro, when a dragon dies, he does not truly leave this world." A new voice joined in, one that belonged to Ignitus. Ignitus appeared behind Spyro. Spyro clenched his eyes shut as he listened to the Guardian's message.

"His spirit lives on, binding itself with nature, offering hope for the future…"

Spyro opened his eyes as he came to a realization.

"I know what I need to do, just get out of here Cynder." He said to the dragoness beside him.

"Spyro, no… you don't have to do anything. Let's just go."

"Where Cynder? There'll be nothing left! The world is breaking apart." He looked at the ground in disappointment.

"But I think I can stop it. I think I'm meant to." He added.

"Then I'm with you…" She said, getting closer.

Spyro looked at her and closed his eyes once more. He flew a foot off of the ground and gathered energy into his body. Cynder walked closer to him and whispered: "I love you…"

Spyro released a torrent of energy which grasped the planet that broke around them- and started to bring it back together.

Back on the surface, the creatures of the Dragon Realms walked outside to see a beautiful sunrise upon their world. The planet was still forming together and the sun flashed a brilliant golden hue upon the planet.

In the sky, there was a vibrant assortment of stars, shaped into that… of a dragon- Spyro.

--------------------------

A pair of eyes looked at a book sitting before him. He, the Chronicler, watched as a new page was written into his books, that of the creatures of the Realms rebuilding their once proud civilization. Something caught his attention and he released his gaze from the book.

"Be welcomed friend. I have long been expecting you…" He said to his guest.

"A new age is beginning... With each new age, a worthy dragon is chosen to chronicle the many triumphs and failures of that age. This has been my duty for many millennia. And now, Ignitus, I pass the honor to you." The Chronicler turned to the fire guardian as he approached.

"And… What of Spyro? Is he…" Ignitus asked, pondering the fate of the young purple dragon who had saved an entire planet from destruction.

"Hmm, that is the question, isn't it? You see, each time a dragon dies, a new page is written in this book." A new book flew over to replace the one already in front of the Chronicler. It opened and he browsed its many pages.

"I've done my best, but I can't seem to fine any trace of Spyro." With this said, the Chronicler flashed a brilliant white- and vanished. In turn, Ignitus flashed a vibrant white and his scales turned to the same color formations of the Chronicler. He wore the same golden neck brace and a crystal hung from a necklace that was attached to it.

The book floated in front of Ignitus and he looked upon its pages, hoping to find some hint of the young purple dragon that had given so much for this world.

"Well young dragon… where might you be?"

-------------------------------

The sun flashed upon his scales as Spyro and Cynder flew in free flight in the grassy fields of some unknown area. They flew towards each other and looked in each other's eyes before Cynder flew off and he gave chase. They flew together now… not alone… but together… happily… but it wasn't meant to be.

With the conclusion of one adventure another begins. While one catastrophe is avoided, another takes shape. A new wave of terror is sparked and at the forefront of it all is going to be the one hero to pull us out of the abyss of death and destruction. It would be up to him to save us all…

As they flew, a pair of eyes watched them intently.

"This young dragon is turning to be quite interesting…" A cold voice said from his throne room as he watched the two dragons flying in harmony.

"He is the only purple dragon besides Malefor to see the halt of the Great Cleansing…. However, unlike Malefor, he halted it himself… of his own will. While Malefor's failure is quite interesting… Spyro seemed to have utter control over the darkness within him. He is turning out to be quite powerful… this could be useful…" The figure stood on his throne, stretching his wings and allowing them to gather strength.

"Now that they have failed to bring about the great cleansing… I can now launch my plan… all that needs to be done is to locate the thing I desire… and to choose which dragon that shall play this out…" He looked at both Spyro flying and Malefor trapped within the purple gemstone within the core of the planet.

"Malefor would be happy to do it but Spyro is more powerful… and that Cynder… she will be of great help as well. Maybe I should test them…" He walked back to his throne and sat in it, recounting the events that had occurred.

"No matter who I choose… in the end I shall finally gain what I seek and Spiritus, nor Rithul cannot stop me this time!" The figure walked into the light to reveal himself as a dragon… a pure black dragon with golden eyes and an arrow on his head pointing upwards. His laughter echoed through the halls of his Citadel. Whatever his plan was, could it be good or bad? Only time would tell… The black dragon looked at the young purple dragon as he flew with Cynder…

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Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

1233 Hours

Undisclosed Location

Spyro soared through the sky. He was so happy to be with Cynder… he had heard what she had said and it gave him a feeling of joy. No longer was he alone in this world… he had somebody… somebody that he could be with…

It had been a long time. Ever since Spyro's first encounter with the Dark Master's armies, he never once thought he'd end up here… It all started 3 years ago…

When Spyro finally learned that he was not a dragonfly like he had been raised to believe, he set out of a journey to find himself.

After a short trip through the swamp, he found Ignitus, the Fire Guardian. He revealed to Spyro that he was a legendary purple dragon destined to stamp his mark on this age.

After that Spyro went out and set out on a quest that would forever change him. He went and rescued each of the Dragon Elders and took the fight to the Dark Serpent Cynder in Convexity. Cynder reverted back to her younger- good- self and they took her in.

It wasn't long after that that she ran away from the temple and Spyro gave chase. Before he knew it he was fighting the Ape King Gaul and they were trapped in the mountain of Malefor for 3 long years…

Finally they were awaken and he and Cynder set out on a quest to defeat Malefor… only to learn that the purple dragons were meant to being about the destruction of the world through the Great Cleansing…

However, Spyro rejected this and stopped it… and now… they were here.

Spyro reverted back to reality as something bit at him in the back of his mind… the words spoken to him by Cynder… he had to find out…

"Cynder… did… you really mean what you said back there to me?" Spyro asked, looking her deep in the eyes. She looked at him and started to smile.

"Spyro… what makes you think I feel any different? Spyro… I'm sorry for whatever pain I've caused you… I've been so foolish… but… for what it's worth… I want to be with you." Cynder said to him.

"Cynder… what's in the past happened…" As he said this, he couldn't help but have tears forming in his eyes.

"I cannot blame you for them and… Cynder… thank you for being there with me to the end… I don't know what I would have down without you…"

"I can think of a few things…" She said with a smile. They looked into each other's eyes before Cynder remembered something.

"So… you think we're dead or something?"

"I don't know… we're somewhere, don't know if it's the Dragon Realms or not."

"Well… at least… at least you're not alone here…" She said hopefully.

"No… no I'm not…" As he said this, they neared each other for a kiss when suddenly Spyro's head was assaulted.

He screamed out in pain as images flowed into his head… those of battles, deaths, killing, destruction, and of a volcano… but in this volcano a shiny silver tower protruded from it and fired a beam of black light from it. At once everything around it started to explode and the Dragon Realms… and every other world… was destroyed. This was horrible!

Suddenly he saw another thing… a creature… a creature wearing armor and fighting a battle. This creature resembled the cheetahs in physique but was pale in color, had little or no fur, and had green clothes on and a shiny green helmet.

Suddenly the images stopped and Spyro returned to reality to find a horrified Cynder looking at him.

"Spyro! What's wrong!?" She asked, a look of terror in her eyes.

"I saw something…"

"What?"

"I… don't know Cynder… I don't know…"

"Well it can't be too bad… let's go walk it off…" She suggested. Spyro looked around franticly, sighed, and then nodded in agreement. They stood up and started walking in the field, feeling the wind slap against them. A few hills and mountains approached them and they sat at the edge of a ravine, its base falling a quarter of a mile into the planet's crust. Spyro gazed upon the endless rocks, trees, and bushes that populated the vast expanse of the ravine.

As they sat at the edge of the ravine, Spyro looked around. He had never been here before, though when they prevented the Great Cleansing, the planet's crust was reformed, meaning that many places were new or were destroyed completely.

As he looked into the gorge, he saw something sparkle. He squinted to get a better view of it.

"Spyro? What are you looking at?" Cynder inquired, shooting glances from him and the direction of his stare. She saw something sparkle as well.

"There's something down there…" Spyro finally commented.

"There is… maybe we should go down there and find out huh?" Cynder said in an almost joking manner.

"Yeah, let's go." Spyro said in a serious manner. Cynder gave him a look of confusion before getting up and following him into the gorge.

They landed at the base of the gorge, dirt and wind slapping against them as they touched down. The object in question was an enormous door four times their size. The door was made of a silver and white metal alloy, similar to that of the tower in Spyro's vision. Spyro felt compelled to enter the structure… he had to find out what was inside.

The door opened up when Spyro neared it and he looked at Cynder who shrugged back. They entered and walked down a dimly lit hallway, purple torches lighting their path.

As they walked deeper into the structure, they came to a room where the hallway ended and the road split into two hallways continuing on forward, one to their right and one to their left. In the middle there was a statue of a dragon sitting proudly with two fires sitting on either side of him. They took the left passage and Spyro noticed that there were statues of purple dragons sitting on the side of the passage. This was a temple to honor all the purple dragons…

"Cynder… are these all the purple dragons that came before?" Spyro asked, looking at the statues. Cynder had stopped to look at one as well and turned to face him.

"I think so… but… if each purple dragon brought the Great Cleansing, how could each of them be remembered by the next age? Wouldn't they have all died?"

"Unless they built this place before hand and have been honoring them ever since…" Spyro said looking around.

"But… we've never seen a place like this before… when I was in the power of Malefor I never came across a temple like this in my travels… why did we find this so easily?" Cynder said as she looked around.

"Well when we stopped the Cleansing, the planet's surface was changed in many places… what if this temple was sitting deep within the planet and it wasn't until we did that that it surfaced." Spyro suggested. It was the only plausible explanation. This temple had to have been buried within the planet… waiting for something to happen and now, now they were probably the first ones seeing it in many millennia.

"But then who built this place?" Cynder asked, going into the next hallway with more dragon statues.

"I don't know…"

"Spyro… look at this…" Cynder said. Spyro left the room and saw what she was looking at. Spyro walked into a room and saw a large pictogram on the wall. There were several purple dragons guarding what looked like a tower shooting a beam of light- the same one he had seen in his vision.

He recognized one of them as… Malefor… this was really getting odd… why would purple dragons be in this structure? It didn't remind him of any architecture he had seen so far… the walls were made of metal and rock… much different from that of the mole's doing or of any other creature he knew of.

"Spyro… is that you?" Cynder said, pointing to a purple dragon hovering above the tower. The dragon looked as if he was the one controlling the beam being fired out of it.

"It… looks like me… I don't know…" Spyro was lost. What did this mean? Was this a sign? A warning? Cynder saw his uneasiness.

"We should go." She said as she turned around and headed back for the way they came.

"Yeah…" Spyro kept looking at the picture even as he exited the room. As they left the temple and took to the sky in the sunny gorge, Spyro's thoughts swelled with questions. He had stopped the Great Cleansing… he had stopped Malefor… now… now he had something else to worry about.

Little did Spyro know that the battle for all life… had just truly begun.

End of Chapter 1

Well there it was, hope you liked! This is, like I said, the first installation of a new series. Tell me what you guys think! Please review and give me your thoughts!


	2. Out of the Frying Pan

Part 2: Trial by Fire

Chapter 2: Out of the Frying Pan…

Human Colony World Sirus 12, Zeta Reticuli System

March 2, 2204

1237 Hours

Northbound Overpass, Alpagee City

"Move out, let's go, let's go!"

"Move it soldier, on your feet!"

"Contacts, across the street!"

"Use your grenades!"

"Use the cover of that bus! Move it!" Lieutenant Wagner yelled over the chaos. The Marines complied and tried to move as best they could to the new position.

As the CO of Alpha Company, Wagner had to ensure that he could lead these Marines through thick and thin. So far, he had just been through the thick. He ducked behind a news vendor sitting on the sidewalk just beside an entrance to the overpass. They had to secure it and start transporting civilians down the road to safety. It would also make a great evacuation route for Marines and Army personnel within the city.

This all started 3 months ago… when a strange signal was picked up by a UERNF ship. The ship went to go investigate and found an alien ship there. The ship opened fire at the UERNF ship and it did the same. The UERNF ship and the alien ship were evenly matched, but allies came to help the alien ship. The human ship returned to Sirus, only bringing the aliens with them. Ever since, they had been fighting a war to keep them from taking this planet.

These aliens called themselves Lakadors and had attacked with brutal intentions. They took prisoners, which they used to direct their attacks more inwardly to the bigger cities.

The UERAF sent reinforcements, but a few weeks ago Cirmain, a much larger colony, fell under assault. More Lakadors kept coming to this colony and the UERAF decided that it was useless to keep defending a small colony and were focusing on the defense of Cirmain. This meant that they were pulling out of Sirus, but first they had to evacuate those still in the war zone. The 72nd Marines were called in to evacuate Alpagee, and once their job was over they were being shipped back to Desmal for some rest.

Alpha Company's job was to secure the Northbound Overpass to allow civilians in the center of the city to reach the outskirts and get lifted out of there. Wagner, being their leader, had to do his best to ensure the ongoing stability of his men. As a member of the United Earth Republic, he had to. The space colonizing unified human government had finally met its match… and Wagner was not about to let these damned things be the end of his race.

He fired his rifle and ordered 2nd Platoon to mount up on the vehicles and hook up with the civilians and a few Marines from Delta Company. The Marines trudged up a ramp way that lead onto the overpass and boarded a few jeeps as they were dropped by Nighthawks from above. The Marines not mounted up stayed behind to provide cover.

Karson ran and hopped onto the gunner seat of his jeep. He looked frantically and was relieved to find Private Allison Mcfay still alive. She hopped into the passenger seat of a Jeep and it drove off down the road. Karson's jeep soon followed suit and a convoy of jeeps were soon on their way to the objective.

Allison was one of his childhood friends. She had been born with him in Florida back on Earth and they had been close friends ever since. They had joined the Marine Corps. as a way to see the Colonies. They never knew they'd be in a grueling war with a hostile species… but I guess that's how the cookie crumbles now isn't it?

The jeeps speed down the road and Karson swerved the .30 caliber machine gun and searched for targets. The buildings were tall, 30 or 40 story buildings sat on both sides of the overpass, their tall construction casting shadows onto the streets below.

Before Karson knew it, they were under attack.

An explosion happened nearby and one of the Jeeps narrowly avoided being destroyed. Karson spotted a few Lakadors running on the overpass just ahead of them, trying to reach the cover of a bus turned on its side.

Karson, just as the other gunners, opened fire. The rapid hum of the machine gun lit up his ears and empty shell casings flew from the weapon as rounds of ammunition were fired away at the enemy contacts. Many fell over and just plain did flips as the heavy ammunition peppered their shiny armor.

Clouds of smoke obscured his vision of the enemy contacts, the result of hundreds of rounds being fired at one spot. Lakador fire dotted the sky and sizzled at the oncoming Marine vehicles. The splashed against the surface or otherwise just smashed against it and left a hole in the armor of the jeep.

Karson pressed down on the trigger, hitting anything that got in his way. The Marine in the passenger seat fired his rifle as well, throwing his own gunfire into the mix. The convoy was smashing through whatever they threw at them. Karson shot a glance at Allison's jeep and was relieved to find it still proceeding to the objective.

Suddenly a jeep in front of Karson's exploded, its burning chassis turning end over end in front of him. Karson shielded his eyes and braced himself as his driver did a quick swerve to avoid the vehicle.

Karson fired off a short burst to detour any other Lakadors down the road and the Jeep turned once more to avoid another blast. Another Jeep caught flames as an explosion gutted the vehicle.

"Damn! Look out!" The passenger called out and they swerved off of the road and onto a ramp leading down. Another jeep followed, caught in the same situation. The driver sent them onto the road that ran parallel to the overpass and Karson recovered and opened fire at a cluster of Lakadors running down the street.

The Jeeps continued down the street and as they reached an intersection they floored it. They had to rejoin the convoy above. Karson pressed down on the trigger again and watched as more Lakadors were cut down by the machine gun ammunition.

Without warning, the building ahead of them detonated and the part of the building containing an exterior staircase collapsed to the street below. 7 floors of concrete tumbled to the ground and the drivers slammed on the breaks, only to slam into the concrete. Karson was flung from the jeep and skid across the rubble and finally rolled to a stop.

He groaned and stood up, holding his head as it throbbed in pain. He slowly walked over and looked at the ground. His helmet was missing.

He picked up his assault rifle and his shotgun that he had kept in reserve this whole time. He slung the shotgun over his shoulder and placed the rifle in firing position. He looked to see the other two Marines from his jeep slowly stand up. The other Marines from the other jeep stood up as well and walked away from the crashed Jeep.

"Form up!" A soldier from the other jeep yelled, a Sergeant. Karson trudged his way over to him and he motioned for them to continue down the street. They heard a scream in a foreign tongue and saw a few Lakadors on the overpass firing down on them.

"Get into the buildings, hurry!" The Sergeant yelled. They ran while firing their rifles from the hip. They entered the blown out wreckage of the building in which the staircase had fallen from. They ran inside to find the lobby to be like a diner.

More Lakador fire hit the ground outside and they knew they'd be followed. Karson kicked open the door to the basement.

"Come on, let's go!" He yelled and the other Marines dashed in with him. They ran down the stairs, trying to keep their footing. Karson turned on the flashlight on his gun and they walked down the flight of stairs. They reached the basement and found themselves in the building's storage room.

"What the hell do we do now?" A Marine asked, looking up and hearing the Lakadors enter the building, snarling in their alien tongue. Karson looked up, sweat forming on him even in the cool basement.

Karson felt hot for some reason… too hot for what he had been doing… it was about 70 degrees outside for it being a spring day… yet he was sweating… He looked around and saw a crack in the wall. He looked intently at the crack and saw something… rather… felt something behind it…

The other Marines walked over and hid behind the staircase while Karson stood, looking at the crack in the wall.

"Private! Get your ass over here!" The Sergeant hissed. Instead Karson grabbed a crow bar and started to hack at the crack in the wall.

"What the hell's he doing?!" One of the soldiers asked as he watched Karson hack away at the wall.

"I'm getting us a way out! Give me a hand will ya?" Karson said as he whacked at the wall again. The Sergeant ran over and started to whack the wall with the butt of his rifle. The other soldiers soon followed suit and the wall gave way to a passageway leading into the rocks.

"C'mon, before they find us!" Karson said as he sprinted down the path. The other Marines quickly followed him and they were all soon sprinting in the darkness. Soon there were torches lighting their way and they came to a room with statues of humans building cities and pictures of humans on the wall. They dashed to another room which came to a large hallway. This hallway had no base… it was a large pit which looked like it went on forever… but there was a walkway spanning the large cavernous passage's length. They started down the walkway, which was big enough to fit a fully loaded UERMC Jaguar Tank.

Torches illuminated the whole room and statues of dragons started to appear all around. They ran for what seemed like hours until they reached the opposite end. When they reached the end, they found the other side locked by a golden door. On the door there were several seals, one of fire, ice, electricity, earth, and a few others.

Karson held out his hand and the fire symbol illuminated. Dumbfounded he watched as the heavy set of doors opened in front of him. They walked inside the new room, to find statues of dragons and other pictures on the walls of dragons in a forest or building a city.

A new set of doors lead them into a cave where they walked until the rays of sunlight came through and they emerged to find themselves in a brand new place…

_________________________________

Allison fired the machine gun on her Jeep and looked franticly around. They had lost track of Karson's jeep. She was worried… she wanted to know where he was. The civilian convoy started to move down the road, and no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't search for Karson… she'd just have to find out what happened to him when they got back to the LZ.

The civilian convoy and Delta Company blasted their way onto the freeway and drop ships flew overhead, bound for the LZ. They would have to get them to the LZ to get everyone extracted.

The Jeeps speed off to the LZ and made a peaceful trip back. Allison's jeep arrived back at the Command area to find nobody else from 2nd Platoon. They were missing.

"Alright Alpha, we're getting out of here, board the drop ships!" Wagner shouted out. Allison looked around franticly, but no Karson was in sight. Full of sadness, she boarded the drop ship and it sailed into the sky above, and to the UERNF Destroyer _Achilles_ in high orbit.

Allison watched as the city slowly vanished beneath the clouds. Her and Karson had shared so much time together… they had always been happy together and Allison had even started to notice that she had more then just a friendship with him… though none of them were really of a revealing nature to the other of their true feelings.

As she shot one more glance out the window Lieutenant Wagner saw her do this. He, of all people, actually knew what went on between them.

"Allison, don't worry. Karson's been through tougher situations. He'll pull through." Allison looked at him and smiled. He saw a tear form in her eye and he smiled back.

The Nighthawks boarded the human vessel and the Destroyer sailed higher into the sky and into space. The ship flew through a battle happening between four UERNF Frigates and three Lakador light ships. Missiles, globs of dark energy, and heavy rounds were exchanged between the two sides. The _Achilles _met up with the UERNF Frigate _Typhus_ and together they flew towards the blackness of space.

"Prepare to make the jump!" The Captain aboard the _Achilles_ ordered. The bridge officers scrambled to get the coordinates to Desmal, one of the UER's largest colonies, into the nav computer.

"Sir, we're prepared to jump!" As he said this, a blast rocked the ships hull.

"Report!" The Captain ordered.

"Sir, the worm-hole generator's taken a hit! We can't make a jump!" The Captain recoiled at the thought of this… the Generator was housed inside a heavily reinforced part of the ship. To take a hit that would destroy it would be near fatal… unless it came from _inside_ the ship… this was bad…

A hole penetrated the blackness of space before them.

"What the hell?"

"Get the coordinates to where that goes!"

"Yes sir, it goes to that anomaly we picked up earlier… the one from that far off system…" The captain remembered that anomaly… the bright light that had illuminated the whole scene only an hour before. Why did this hole open now of all times? What was on the other side? It was probably better then here…

"Get us through that hole! Anywhere is better then here, we can use the _Typhus _to get us back to UERNF territory later, we have to bug out now!"

"Yes sir, attention Commander Bradens, follow our lead through the worm hole." The Nav officer said through a microphone. A green light appeared on the captain's command console which acknowledged the order.

The two ships passed through the ship and left the battle… but two other ships followed them… two Lakador ships…

Meanwhile…

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

1403 Hours

Undisclosed Location

Spyro and Cynder flew over a peaceful forest, the sunny sky casting its rays upon them. The clouds overhead turned with the winds, creating a beautiful array of colors and patterns.

They flew down into the trees and landed next to a pond. The sun's rays came through a hole through the trees. The sunlight reflected off of the cool blue waters of the pond. Spyro sat next to the pond while Cynder lapped up the cool water.

Spyro smiled before getting up and walking over to a bush. The bush had several berries on it which Spyro picked off with his mouth and placed on a mushroom cap nearby. The large mushroom cap held numerous berries and Spyro placed the mushroom cap on his back. He retreated to the pond to find Cynder sitting in the water, relaxing.

Spyro chuckled and placed the cap down. He walked over to the water and slipped inside. The waters felt great to Spyro… it felt so relaxing. He slipped into the cool blue waters and let it relax his tired muscles.

It had been a while since they had just… relaxed. Cynder was already floating in the waters, enjoying it.

They didn't say anything as they enjoyed the waters. The warm sunlight reflected off of Spyro's scales and filled him with a brilliant feeling of warmth and rejuvenation.

Spyro opened his eyes and noted that Cynder was nowhere in sight. Spyro sat up in the waters and at the corner of his eye caught a motion in the water. Suddenly Cynder burst forth from the water, in a pounce position and aimed directly at Spyro. Spyro was thrown off from his position and Cynder caught him, water spraying all over them.

They sat up in the water and Cynder was laughing uncontrollably. Spyro chuckled a bit as well.

"Got ya." She said as she stood up in the waters.

"So you did…" Spyro said before launching himself at Cynder. Cynder yelled in surprise as he caught her and took her into the deeper part of the pond. She surfaced and laughed and Spyro followed suit. She splashed him with water and he gave a look of amusement before returning the splash of water.

They laughed as they barraged each other with wave upon wave of water. Finally they wore themselves out and they left the pond. Spyro grabbed the mushroom cap with the berries and they walked to an open field. They laid down in the grass and they let the sun dry them off.

As they lay in the grass, Cynder took a few berries and ate them. Spyro did the same and looked at Cynder while she ate. She blushed and continued eating. Cynder swallowed her food and looked at Spyro inquisitively.

"So… what now?" She asked.

"What do you mean?" He asked, turning his attention from his berry to her.

"Well… we stopped Malefor and you stopped the Great Cleansing… what else is there to do?"

"I… don't know…" It was a valid question. For the longest time Spyro could only remember fighting for the Alliance to defeat Malefor. Since he first went to the Dragon Temple… he had only fought, fought, and fought. Now… now there was nothing to fight for anymore. Everything was peaceful… though that vision that Spyro had had earlier… it still resided in his mind… That tower coming out of the volcano… it had to do with something… and that temple with the picture of him flying over it… something was amiss.

He banished these thoughts… they had defeated the Dark Master… they had finally brought peace to these Realms that had only known war for as long as they could remember.

"Well… maybe we should try to find the others and show them that we're alright." Cynder suggested. Spyro shrugged. He didn't want to really say it, but he didn't really desire to return… he felt happy here.

"Well… question is, just where are we?" Spyro said as he looked around. They were in a U shaped clearing in the forest. That clearing sat atop a hill that overlooked another stretch of the forest. Beyond that forest sat a few mountains and all around them sat more hills, trees and mountains.

Spyro kicked the mushroom cap away and stood up. The grass swayed in the wind and he looked around. He had to get their position as best he could. Even if the planet had rearranged itself, he had to position themselves as best he could.

He didn't see any familiar landmarks, positions, or anything… nothing was familiar. The sky was the only thing that seemed familiar. It sort of reminded him of the Valley of Avalar.

"Spyro… where are we exactly?" Cynder asked as she looked around.

"That's what I'm trying to find out… nothing seems familiar anymore…" He sat back down and sighed.

Something told Spyro to head with the forest… He turned around and walked near the forest. Cynder sighed and followed. They walked through the forest for a few hours, stopped occasionally to rest.

As they walked along the river as a guide path, Spyro started to spot structures. These were structures erected by moles, brick and mortar designs coming out of the rock. These structures must have been ancient to have been buried in the rocks for so long.

However, what caught Spyro's eye was what was underneath the bricks! On parts of the structures, bricks were crumbling away to reveal a metallic surface underneath. The metal alloy gleamed as sunlight came through the trees and Spyro was in awe at the sight. It was the same metal from the temple they had been in only hours before.

"Spyro, are you seeing this?" Cynder asked as she took note of it as well. Spyro only nodded in response.

"Just who built these things?" Cynder asked. As Spyro looked the structures over, he noted that it looked to be like an ancient mini-dam. Water came out of small tunnels that protruded from the metal structures and bricks crumbled atop it.

"I… don't know… obviously not dragons or moles… in fact it looks as if the dragons and moles built atop it to hide it…" He said while still looking the ancient structure over.

"If so, why would they hide something like this?" She asked once more.

"I don't know Cynder… I really don't know…" With that said, they hesitantly left the mysterious temple and headed deeper into the forest.

Several hours later they finally sat down for a rest as the dusk settled upon the area.

They sat down atop a small boulder that sat in a small opening in the forest. Before them sat the cool crisp waters of a small creek that ran along the forest's length.

Spyro lit a fire atop the boulder on a small patch of grass and the embers floated into the air as the sun began to set upon the Dragon Realms. Cynder walked up with some birds she caught and they set them upon the fire to cook while they sat and gazed at the stars.

Spyro retrieved the birds and took a bite. The meat tasted scrumptious to him and Cynder did the same. The stars began to gain their sparkle and a calm wind settled through the small temporary camp site.

Spyro chuckled.

"What?" Cynder asked as she looked at him.

"Oh… nothing, I was just remembering old times." Spyro said in reply.

"Like what?" Cynder said as she got a bit closer, intent on hearing a story.

"Well, I remember how this whole thing started, with me and Sparx playing a game of hide and go seek."

"Really?"

"Yeah… Sparx was a laugh… I remember chasing him through an old forbidden cave and when we came out the other side, we ran into your Apes." Cynder laughed, remembering her old minions.

"They were the worst minions ever… they couldn't fight to save their own lunch." Spyro chuckled.

"I remember that even though we were under attack, Sparx was still tossing in comments to the Apes. That really made 'em mad."

"Hah, I'd imagine! That little twerp doesn't know when to stop!"

"You'd be surprised at the comments he's said while we were fighting! I remember he'd always tease me about my 'weight' issues. He even commented about you once right before I fought you in Convexity."

"Really, what did he say?"

"Do you really want to know?" Spyro said with a laugh.

"What, what did he say?" She said, joining in with laugh.

"Well, right before Ignitus told us who you were Sparx threw in, 'what? She's big, scary… sexy?'"

"He said what?!"

Spyro burst out laughing.

"Why I oughta… next time I see him I'm going to smack that little twerp!" She said and Spyro couldn't stop laughing. Spyro whipped a tear from his eye and looked at the sky.

"I'm going to miss him…" Spyro commented. Cynder sighed aloud.

As Spyro said that he looked up into the sky and caught sight of a constellation in the stars that looked like a dragon… come to think of it, it looked like him! He looked at it with wonder until Cynder broke the trance.

"Spyro… do you think we'll ever find anybody we know?" The fire started to die down and its glow started to fade away.

"I don't know Cynder… but… we stopped Malefor, everything's going to be alright. Nothing bad is going to happen now." Spyro wished that was the truth. His head swelled with the thoughts of the vision. The image of the tower and of him flying atop the volcano frightened him. He didn't want to learn of its meaning… though it did intrigue him…

Cynder sighed aloud…

"Cynder…" Spyro said, but was distracted by something in the sky. As the sun's glow faded, the two moons became more visible. A few stars were moving above… and with great speed. They danced across the sky and Spyro and Cynder both watched intently as they raced across the blackness… connecting and creating larger and bigger flashes of brilliant light.

"Spyro, what do you think that is?" Cynder asked. Spyro didn't know, but one of them seemed to be getting bigger! Spyro watched as a fireball streaked in the sky nearby and exploded in the middle of the sky. Spyro saw several things that looked like mushroom caps floating back down to the ground. One black figure, what Spyro took as a creature, fell in the woods nearby.

"Come on, let's check it out!" Spyro yelled as he stood up. Cynder nodded and trotted along with him into the forest.

Meanwhile…

"I don't remember a forest this big near Alpagee… do you?"

"Private, I don't even think we're on Sirus anymore… or any human populated world for that matter…"

Karson walked through the tall grass, the cool air rejuvenating his form. The sun was setting and the skies turned a shade of grey as a few clouds pass overhead. The squad of Marines had exited that weird tunnel and came to a valley with lush forests and a beautiful blue sky. The Sergeant's words held truth, Karson wasn't sure if they were on any human world himself. This whole place seemed… different from any human populated world.

As they walked, Karson spotted structures in between the tree line. The Sergeant saw this as well and motioned for them to get low. The buildings looked like huts… it was a village. They dashed as low as they could and set up positions in the forest, their weapons pointed at the buildings.

The Sergeant moved his hand forward, ordering them forward. There were no Lakadors in the village, which meant it should be clear. They ran to the nearest hut, slapped their backs against it, and noticed that there was nobody in the village.

The Marines slowly walked through the village, their weapons at the ready. They didn't see anybody inside the huts or outside. They were abandoned.

As the Marines neared the opposite end of the village, one of the Marines cried out in pain. They turned around to see an arrow lodged in the soldier's back. The Marine had a Kevlar vest with metal padding which dissipated the arrows impact. That didn't mean it didn't hurt like hell though!

"Contacts! On the ridge!" One of the soldiers yelled out. On the right side of the village sat a ridge. On that ridge, several archers unloaded arrows upon the humans. The Marines sought cover and opened fire.

Karson rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding one arrow. He pointed his rifle at his assailant and pulled the trigger. The ground near the hostile exploded as the rifle rounds impacted, releasing large amounts of dirt into the air.

The archers returned fire and as Karson adjusted his aim, he took note that the attackers were… cheetahs? The cheetah creatures walked like bi-pedals… and used cross bows and bows and arrows. The arrows flew down to the Marines and they used as much cover as they could. One arrow flew into the arm of one of the soldiers and he yelled out in pain.

Karson dodged an arrow again and squeezed the trigger once more. More bullets flew at the hostiles and they ducked before releasing another volley of arrows.

One of the attackers fell as the Marine's gunfire finally hit its mark. The cheetah dropped its crossbow as the bullets hit him in the arm. Finally a cheetah tossed a ball at them and it detonated. The ball released a green cloud which started to make Karson feel dizzy.

The other Marines fell to the ground and Karson fired off another burst from his rifle before falling over. His limbs felt weaker and weaker… until his vision started to blur and he lost consciousness.

____________________________________

Uncharted System

1934 Hours

Aboard the UERNF Destroyer Achilles

"Get onto the ships! Move!" Wagner yelled as the alarm blared. The Marines of Alpha Company and other Marine groups moved to drop ships or to escape pods.

When the _Achilles_ and _Typhus_ entered the new system, they came upon a planet. They also came across two Lakador ships which opened fire upon them. The two UERNF vessels had taken a huge beating since they arrived in system and the _Achilles_ needed to do an emergency landing. The _Typhus_ was moving to the opposite hemisphere to enter the planet's atmosphere safely and would rally with the surviving Marines.

The Marines of the _Achilles_ would have to abandon ship and rally together to fight off the Lakadors from the surface.

The Marines boarded the Nighthawks and an explosion sent Wagner onto the floor, trying to regain his composure. He stood up and hopped on a nearby Nighthawk. The remains of Alpha Company's 2nd Platoon was sitting in the troop bay and once Wagner and another Marine from 2nd boarded, the drop ship flew into the airlock and out of the hanger.

The ship flew into the atmosphere of the mysterious planet, fighters spouting weapons at each other the whole way. Wagner glanced out of a window on the back of the troop bay and witnesses the fight unfolding between the UERNF and Lakador ships.

The _Achilles_ was taking a beating and the _Typhus_ was dishing out as much as she could… but she was only a Frigate. The _Achilles_ was built for more fighting, but her hull was cratered with impacts of dark energy.

The _Typhus_ fired her main gun, a light LIC weapon. The weapon fired a heavy magnetic shell at the Lakador ship. The shell nailed the lead Lakador ship and the ship tumbled backwards as the shell impacted. The shell didn't penetrate fully and detonated inside the ship.

A quarter of the ship detonated and the ship was nearly torn in half. The ship drifted and some of her weapons continued to fire. A dark energy cannon fired a beam of concentrated black energy which impacted the Achilles and blew out her starboard hanger bay. The ship shuddered under the impact and a hundred missiles launched from the _Achilles_ and streaked towards the enemy vessels. It was horrible. They couldn't hold their own forever and those ships had them in check.

The Nighthawk flew downwards through the planet's atmosphere and Wagner watched as an enemy fighter flew in and fired a salvo of dark energy at their drop ship. An escape pod farther up detonated and more fighters came at their drop ship. The bolts hit the aircraft and the ship shuddered. Thankfully, UERNF Raven fighters retaliated and threw the enemy ships off course with well aimed missiles and 40 mm gunfire.

The Nighthawk didn't escape unscathed… the ship shuddered as the engines gave out and the alarm blared. Wagner watched as the fires around their ship dissipated as they lost speed in the atmosphere and entered normal flight.

"Damn! The fuel line's been breached! This thing's gunna blow!" The pilot yelled from his seat.

"Everybody, we're going to jump!" Wagner yelled. The Marines of the drop ship all grabbed parachutes and the pilot slammed the switch which jettisoned the troop bay door. The troop bay was filled with the atmosphere of the foreign world and the Marines began to leap out of the troop bay as the ship tumbled through the skies. The pilots leapt out and Wagner followed quickly behind.

Wagner flew out of the open troop bay and felt himself come into a free fall. The other Marines deployed their parachutes, creating a mushroom shaped fabric ticket downwards.

As Wagner yanked on his chute, the Nighthawk above him exploded. He shielded his face as the night sky was lit up with the fantastic fireball that used to be a drop ship. Wagner tugged on the cord again to be rewarded with- nothing. His chute wasn't deploying! This was not good!

Wagner furiously tugged on the cord multiple times, each time being rewarded with the same result- nothing. He kept trying however and finally just yanked the cord from the pack, still not getting the chute lose.

"Ah crap!" He said as he flew downwards. He felt something hard hit him as he hit the branch of a tree. He yelled out in pain and flew downwards, hitting tree branches on his decent. He finally landed on a fairly large branch, only for it to snap and he tumbled 8 feet to the ground below.

Wagner moaned and slowly sat up. He felt around and grasped his helmet. Wagner picked it up and sat up. The helmet had a small silver rectangle sat sparkling on the helmet- the mark of a Lieutenant. Wagner placed the helmet on his head and stood up.

He had no rifle… and most of his gear had been knocked lose during the fall. Most of his backpack was still in order, but most of his grenades, extra clips, and other things had been knocked off.

Wagner was relieved to find his knife still on him and was delighted when he spotted a small black object reflecting moonlight. He grabbed for the object and found it to be his M4 .40 caliber side arm. He holstered the pistol and looked around. He grabbed as much of the extra stuff as he could, still not satisfied with the loss of his assault weapon.

He took note of the fact that he was in a forest, with tall trees, tall grass and fairly large mushrooms. The mushrooms were almost as high as his knee… that was unheard of. He sighed and started to walk, taking note of the soft _tak, tak, tak,_ sounds in the distance. The Marines had engaged the enemy. Hopefully they could pull together and get out of this mess…

Wagner trotted through the grass and into the night… and to the biggest battle of his life.

End of Chapter 2


	3. Hide and Go Seek in the Dark

Chapter 3: Hide and go Seek in the Dark

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

March 2, 2204

2003 Hours

Undisclosed Location

Spyro ran through the trees, jumping over rocks and avoiding fallen branches. Cynder followed closely behind, keeping a good pace. Spyro heard strange sounds… _tak, tak, tak,_ sounds rang through the air and Spyro didn't know where they were coming from.

They ran to where the fireball had exploded and saw pieces of what looked like scorched metal lying on the forest ground. Small fires had broken out in the grass and the stench of burnt metal hung in the air. However, it was what lied ahead that startled Spyro the most. What sat before them was a flaming chassis of a large metal vehicle of some sort. The vehicle was ablaze and smoke rose into the sky above.

"Spyro… what is that thing?!" Cynder asked as she used her air powers to douse some of the fires breaking out.

Spyro approached the vehicle.

"I… don't know…" Spyro said as he inspected the wreckage. As they started to put out the fires, they kept hearing those strange tak sounds coming from nearby. A new sound started them and they looked up to see some sort of flying machine with lights which scanned the ground below. It flew downwards into the forest and Spyro motioned for Cynder to follow. They slowly walked to the edge of a cliff which overlooked a small section of the forest below.

The flying machine deployed several bi-pedal reptiles. They each had purple scales and wore shiny silver armor. They held onto what Spyro presumed were weapons, though they didn't seem like any weapons he had ever seen. The way the reptiles held them they must have be similar to the crossbow that the alliance had used to defend Warfang.

"Cynder… have you ever seen these guys before?" Spyro asked, looking intently at them.

"No… I've never seen anything like them other then dragons… but they don't even have wings and they walk on their hind legs…" Spyro watched as the creatures broke up into several groups of 3 or 2 and headed into the forest. A group went near their area and started to climb and incline that headed to them.

"Come on, let's go." As they turned to leave, the flying machine flew up into the sky and flew off into the night. They walked through the grass and heard a screeching sound as the reptilian creatures spotted them. One of them drew a sword while the other two fired their weapons at Spyro and Cynder.

Globs of energy flew at the dragons and they dashed behind a boulder as the spheres of energy smashed into the trees and grass around them. The lead reptile charged, his sword at the ready.

"Well now we know they aren't friendly!" Spyro said and Cynder glared at the new enemies. The reptile leapt over the boulder and slashed the sword at Cynder. Spyro used his tail to knock the sword away and the creature was quick to use his claws against Spyro. Spyro used an Earth Blast to send the creature back.

Spyro leapt from the boulder and blasted the creature again with an Earth Blast. The creature's silver armor shattered from the blast and blood followed suit. The other two snarled loudly and prepared to fire at them again when Cynder formed a whirlwind which smashed the creatures together and they collapsed over.

Spyro walked over, prepared to find out more about them when they stood up and prepared to fire again. Cynder then used her air to fling them off of the cliff edge and they plummeted to the lower valley below. Spyro and Cynder walked over and saw their limp bodies on the ground beneath, the 30 meter drop taking its toll on them.

"What the hell was their problem?!" Cynder said as she looked at them.

"Obviously they don't like dragons…" Spyro said.

"But… aren't they dragons?" Cynder asked, a bit confused.

"I don't think so… they look like dragons but don't have any wings or real horns…" Spyro commented as he looked over the one he killed with an Earth Blast. They heard screeching sounds and they looked back over the cliff and saw two more groups approaching their area, obviously alerted to the death of their comrades.

"Looks like we've got trouble." Spyro commented to the oncoming group.

"Things just keep getting better and better…" Cynder said as well.

The creatures spotted them atop the cliff and fired their weapons at them. More spheres of dark energy speed at them, scorching the dirt and burning the tree nearby. Spyro and Cynder both retreated from the cliff face and started back as the creatures tossed a rock up at them.

"A rock?" Cynder asked as a blue rock landed atop the cliff. She was about to approach it and pick it up to mock them when the rock exploded and a field of ice engulfed the area it was in. Everything around it was frozen solid and thankfully Cynder was far enough away from it not to be effected.

"I don't think those are rocks they're throwing!" Spyro said after the weapon went off.

"No duh!" Cynder said and retreated back to where Spyro was. They caught site of the two groups of running up the hill and approaching them.

"Wanna fight them?" Spyro asked. Cynder was about to answer when more rocks flew their way.

"That answer your question?" She asked before starting off. Spyro followed and more spheres of dark energy flew at them. They dashed into a patch of tall grass and waited for the creatures to get into the field. They did and looked for the dragons.

Spyro nodded to Cynder and he flew out and shot a fireball at them. The lead two caught fire and screamed as the fire burned them. The others prepared to attack the two dragons but Cynder was using her shadow abilities to burrow under the ground and at once she sprung from the ground, knocking the creatures into the air and disabling their weapons.

The creatures landed, their bodies enshrouded in the hazy darkness. Spyro finished them off with a single comet strike and their burnt black bodies dotted the grassy field.

"Well that was… fun." Cynder said with a smile. Spyro nodded and saw another flying machine come over them. Unlike the first, it was grey in color and held a very different design. It flew overhead, scanning the ground with bright lights. The craft was satisfied with whatever it was that it desired and took off into the night.

As they regrouped in the field, they heard an increase in the _tak_ sounds off in the distance.

"Alright, those sounds are getting on my nerves. What are they?!" Cynder said in frustration.

"We'll never know until we look." Spyro said and Cynder smirked before they both glided off of the cliff and down to the small open field below. Thick trees dotted the surrounding area and a water fall sat in the distance. They saw a smoke column rising from where the weird vehicle had crashed and some columns rose in the distance.

They walked through the tall grass and the cool night air rejuvenated Spyro's scales. More tak sounds echoed through the night and another air vehicle passed overhead, this one being purple and in a hurry.

"What's going on?!" Spyro asked as he watched it dash overhead.

"I don't know… hey, look over there!" Cynder said as she pointed into the sky. There was a raging fireball hurling down to the forest. The fireball detonated in the middle of the sky and pieces of debris rained upon them.

Another purple air vehicle flew nearby and landed in the field that they had just been in. Several more reptiles came from inside the strange vehicle and looked around franticly, as if looking for something or someone.

Spyro and Cynder went into the bushes nearby as the vehicle ascended, as if by magic, and darted off into the night. The reptiles screeched at each other in a foreign tongue. They inspected the dead bodies of their comrades and started to scout out the nearby areas.

Spyro looked at Cynder.

"Want to evade them, or do you want to show them who they're looking for?"

"I thought you'd never ask…" She said with a smile and together they bolted from their cover to engage the new enemies.

Meanwhile…

2003 Hours

Marine Drop Zone

Wagner slowly crawled through the grass, trying to avoid the Lakador search parties. They walked through the grass nearby and Wagner held his position and held his breath as they walked nearby. One of them sniffed the air, looked around, and then continued on his way.

Wagner let out a sigh of relief as the Lakadors slowly left the area. He slowly stood up and walked through the grass in a crouch position to a few bushes that were nearby. He looked out to another part of the forest. This one had a few breaks in the trees where moonlight came down upon the forest below. Small glowing bugs flew through the forest, creating a nice effect. There were small mushroom caps and some of the forest scene felt foreign in nature.

Wagner slowly started to move but saw a Lakador drop ship pass overhead. He kept in his cover and allowed the drop ship to pass overhead. The drop ship scanned the ground with its lights, trying to locate human survivors.

Wagner could hear a lot of distant gunfire and he clutched onto his M4. When he ensured the coast was clear, he started off towards a cliff in the distance. There was a smoke trail coming from it and he presumed that was where the Nighthawk went down. It would give a great position to recon the forest and if he ever regrouped with his Marines, that would be the best place for an initial CP until they could get airlifted to the _Typhus_.

He saw a Lakador drop ship land in front of the cliff however and heard Lakador fire coming from it. Obviously they had just engaged any Marines in the area and the lack of human gunfire only meant one thing- they massacred them.

Wagner walked into a narrow forest path with bushes surrounding the main path.

Wagner slowly walked through the grass and saw two Lakadors approaching his position fast. He ducked into the bushes and watched intently as the two Lakadors passed him by, looking through the area, looking for any Marines.

As they left the scene, he stood up and slowly walked from the bush. He started walking but snapped a branch as he stood. The Lakadors heard this and quickly did an about face and saw him. They pointed their rifles at him and opened fire.

The dark energy that came from them hit all around and one round hit Wagner dead on. He fell over, but his armor had taken the blunt of the blow and he was knocked over as a result. However, his chest was on fire as the dark energy still heated his body up.

He yelled in pain as the dark energy burned away at his armor and he slowly stood up. He drew his pistol from where he lay and fired at the oncoming foes.

The Lakadors thought they had killed him with that initial burst, so Wagner's retaliation caught them completely off guard. One was caught by the hail of bullets and clenched onto its face as the .40 caliber bullets hit him. The creature fell over, bullet holes littering its body.

The other roared in defiance and dashed at the Marine. The Lakador drew a knife and closed in for the kill. Wagner pressed the trigger but the weapon was out of ammo. He dropped the pistol as the Lakador leapt onto him and tried to drive the knife into Wagner's chest. Wagner quickly grabbed the creature's arms and tried his best to overpower the enemy.

His opponent hissed at him and applied more strength to drive the knife into Wagner. Though Wagner wore armor, the hole where he had been hit was vulnerable to being penetrated by the sharp weapon.

Slowly the Lakador started to win and a grin appeared on its muzzle. Wagner groaned as he tried his hardest to repel the creature. Wagner was almost to the point of giving up when finally he managed to kick the creature in the leg, causing it to let up enough for him to break the stalemate and he punched the Lakador in the face. The Lakador came off of him and Wagner came again, smacking the creature again and again.

The creature snarled before Wagner grabbed his own knife, grabbed the creature, and drove it into the hostile. The creature struggled for a bit before collapsing to the ground, dead.

Wagner breathed a sigh of relief, retrieved his pistol, reloaded it and looked ahead. That was a close one. He almost got killed… he needed to keep moving or those creatures would do him in. He pushed on, sweat raining down his face. He whipped his face with his sleeve as the sweat began to come into his eyes.

He walked through the grass until he reached the area where the field was. He was two creatures standing in it, a black dragon and a purple one. They both highly resembled the Lakadors except they were… well… dragons. Then Wagner caught himself. Dragons? Were those… dragons?! Dragons are a myth! But… there were two sitting right in front of him…

He kept his eyes on them and reached for his side arm. He pointed the weapon at them and watched as they walked into the forest nearby. He didn't know whether to count them as hostile or local natives… whoever they were… he had to make an assumption… and to him, anything with scales was a target.

They walked through and Wagner got into a position to follow when the sounds of a Lakador drop ship filtered through the area. He looked up and sure enough, a drop ship started to lower into the area. He cursed to himself and retreated into the bushes. He noticed that the dragons had done the same.

As the drop ships deployed troops, he watched the dragons keep their eyes on the Lakadors. To his surprise they leapt out from the bushes and the lead one- the purple one- engulfed his body in fire and charged headlong into the Lakadors.

They caught fire and screamed aloud as they fell to the ground. This immediately got Wagner's attention and he watched as the other dragon fired off a red blast from its muzzle and the Lakadors caught in it dropped their weapons and gripped their heads. They screamed out and it looked as if they were hallucinating.

The purple one recovered from the charge, bit a Lakador in the leg and swung it into the ground. When another came at it with a sword, the dragon kicked it with its hind legs and then hit it again with its horns. The dragon then knocked the surrounding Lakadors down with a whip of its tail.

The black one was fairing just as well. The black one had bit a Lakador in the neck, taken it into the air, and was using her hind legs to continuously kick the Lakador as it held the Lakador in mid-air. The black dragon then threw the Lakador down into the ground and breathed a green mist upon the other Lakadors, making them cough and grab at their necks.

Before Wagner knew it, the whole Lakador patrol was dead. He looked at the scene with astonishment. For sure he knew one thing, they didn't like Lakadors… but for that matter, did they like Humans? Were they those stereotypical dragons that ate flesh? Was he just in as much danger as those Lakadors? Nevertheless he began to follow them, intent on getting closer.

They dashed through the forest and came across another patrol of Lakadors. Wagner took a back seat and watched as the dragons plowed right through them with ease. They were powerful! He clutched his pistol with a bit of fear, fear for the unknown, and fear for what the dragons might do to him if he were discovered.

He had to keep at this routine, but soon he heard the sound of Marine gunfire getting close. The dragons were heading to the Marines! He had to divert them somehow… If they did that to an entire patrol, he'd had to think of what they'd do to unorganized Marines! He had to do something and quick!

He followed as quickly as he could but the dragons were walking fast. The sounds of gunfire quickly sounded off and he could see a small skirmish erupting in the trees beyond. He pointed his weapon at the creatures and kept at them.

________________________________

Spyro and Cynder dashed fast through the grass. The strange tak, tak, tak, sounds were growing ever closer. They were also getting very loud. They had just finished off more of those reptilian creatures and were now itching to get to the bottom of these new enemy warriors.

They passed through a tree line and spotted a battle unfolding. There were 4 of the reptilians and about 3 other new creatures that Spyro had never seen before. The new ones wore green fabrics that covered their entire bodies, minus their face, hands and feet. They were bi-pedal, had a brown/green metal armor over their chest and lower leg and wore a grey vest underneath that. They wore a green helmet over their heads and they didn't have fur or scales. Instead they had what looked like soft, pink flesh.

They looked like the creature that Spyro had seen in his vision… who were they?

They held onto weapons that were similar to the reptilians, though they looked of a different design. The weapons also didn't fire globs of dark energy like their counter parts. These instead just had a flash that emanated at the barrel. Spyro assumed it was a weapon that shot fire at close range, but the warriors holding them used them as if for long range. This confused Spyro, for he could not see a projectile, arrow, energy discharge or anything!

The 3 new creatures defended an area from the reptiles. It looked odd to Spyro… he was used to seeing massive sword battles… and these guys were fighting, he knew that, but how could they? There were no swords, only these strange weapons!

The warriors in green clothing fought back against the reptiles. Soon, two of the warriors caught two globs of energy and they fell to the ground. A reptile took this opportunity and drew a sword.

"Finally," Spyro said in his head, "a weapon I recognize…"

The Reptile dashed to the first downed warrior and tore off the metal armor the warrior wore. He then inserted the sword into the creature with ease and was rewarded with a scream of pain.

Spyro clenched his teeth as he watched… these reptiles were obviously not friendly… to anyone…

As the reptile withdrew his sword from the fallen warrior, another reptile dashed to the other fallen one. The other one was trying to crawl away and the reptile drew out an even smaller handheld device which looked like a cut down version of their weird new weapons. He placed the cut down version up against the warrior's helmet and a purple flash signaled that it had been fired.

The warrior in green clothes and with pink flesh fell lifeless to the ground and the reptile snickered.

The final warrior in green clothes yelled out something in English but Spyro didn't catch it. The warrior's weapon flashed gold and three clouds of smoke came from the reptile with the sword.

The three clouds came from its chest and blood came from them. The creature had been mortally wounded, but by what? There had been no arrows fired or sword stabbing… and yet the reptile dropped its sword and collapsed to the ground! Spyro was in awe at the sight.

The other two reptiles were appalled at what happened and fired their dark energy weapons at the remaining warrior.

The warrior in turn fired his, but soon it failed to flash anymore. The warrior looked franticly at the weapon and discarded it, now trying to flee the scene. The other two reptiles smiled and fired at the warriors back. The warrior caught one in the arm and fell over. The two reptiles dashed over to him and they prepared for the final kill.

"I can't watch anymore we have to help him!" Cynder said as she dashed from the bushes. She was right, this was horrible, and they couldn't just watch anymore, they had to do something! Spyro quickly followed and dashed into the air, using his wings to speed himself up. He caught the lead reptile in the back and drove it into the ground, smacking it with his claws.

Cynder grabbed the other one in the leg and tossed it aside before using her shadow breath on the creature. The shadow breath burned away at it and it screamed before falling over, dead.

Spyro's target had kicked Spyro off of him and had drawn a sword to kill him. He swung the sword but Spyro backed off and shot three ice shards at the reptile. The shards smashed against its armor and cracked it. One landed in its arm and it fell over screaming.

They then turned their attention to the warrior on the ground and noted that he had gotten up and had dashed away from the scene.

"That was rude, no thank you?" Cynder asked with a bit of a huff.

"Well at least he's alive… whoever he is…" Spyro said in return.

They walked over to the one who had gotten stabbed and they looked him over intently. His entire body was made of a pale pink flesh and over that he wore green clothes with little armor. The warrior reminded him a lot of the cheetahs, minus the hair.

Spyro spotted the warriors weapon and walked over to it. He flipped the weapon around with his claws, trying to get a better view of it. It was alien to him. The best comparison would be to the crossbow the moles used… it had a trigger, and it looked like there was an area where an arrow would come out, but where did they put the arrow?

"Spyro, what are these?" Cynder asked. Spyro looked and saw that she had picked up something shiny in her claws. The object was a small brass cylinder. There was a hole at the top and smoke came out of it. There were several scattered across the ground.

"What's making the smoke?" Spyro asked as he inspected another one.

"Some sort of magic? I didn't see anything come out of their weapons unlike the reptiles'… you think these weapons use magic?"

"Maybe… look at this guy, he got killed with no arrows or swords… he just… died as the warrior pointed this thing at him…" Spyro said, referring to the downed reptile with the three holes in its armor.

"How weird…" Cynder said, setting down the brass cylinder. Spyro was about to go and inspect the warrior again when he heard a scream… from Cynder! He turned around and to his horror she was on the ground with two reptiles restraining her! One of them drew a sword and prepared to thrust it into her red belly! Spyro was in shock.

"Cynder! I'm coming!" Spyro dashed to her aid but felt something hard hit his head. He was knocked to the ground and saw that a reptile had hit him with the butt of his weapon. The creature snarled at him and two pinned him to the ground as well. Like Cynder, one with a sword approached to finish him off…

Spyro fought for his freedom but suddenly everything happened all at once.

The creature about to stab Cynder screamed as something hit in the back of the head. Spyro heard small, yet loud CRACKS and turned to see another green warrior holding a small black hand held weapon. The weapon flashed yellow and reptiles screamed and fell over.

The ones holding onto Spyro and Cynder let go and dashed at this new target. They grabbed their dark energy weapons and fired at the lone warrior, globs of energy crisscrossing the night. The warrior hit the deck and fired from a lying down position, two more reptiles falling.

But soon the warrior's weapon stopped working and the warrior hit it in frustration. However, it was too late. The creatures saw this, dashed over to the warrior and one slashed a sword at him. The warrior fell to the ground as his metal armor was struck. Another kicked him and the last one grabbed the hand held weapon and chunked it away.

"Spyro, we have to help him!" Cynder said. Spyro nodded and they grabbed the reptiles that were attacking him and tossed them to the side.

The last reptile ignored Spyro and Cynder and slashed a sword at the warrior. The warrior picked up a fallen sword and used it in self defense, their swords making a loud clang sound in the night.

They slashed at each and the warrior picked himself off of the ground and rolled to the side, getting up. They slashed swords at each other and as Spyro shot a glance at them, it seemed as if the warrior didn't really know how to use a sword properly.

However, Spyro had his own things to worry about. He blew a fireball at a reptile and it caught fire, screaming in pain. Cynder slashed at her reptile with poison and the reptile flew to the ground, slowly dying of her poisonous attacks.

They looked over to the warrior and saw that he had dropped the sword and rolled over to one of the other fallen warriors and picked up their weird weapon. The warrior looked extremely relieved to grab one and once more loud tak, tak, tak, sounds filled the night and the reptile he pointed the weapon at danced as if he were being hit by something invisible.

Clouds of smoke and blood came from the reptile and it collapsed over, dead.

They looked at the warrior and what caught Spyro's eye the most was a small silver rectangle that was imbedded into the warrior's helmet. It was small, but shiny. The warrior noticed that they were watching him and he dashed off into the forest.

"Wait, come back!" Spyro yelled. He and Cynder dashed off towards him as he leapt into the bushes.

"Boy, they sure love to run don't they?!" Cynder said as she huffed along with Spyro.

"No lie!" He said in response. He didn't know why he ran though; they were acting as if they'd never seen a dragon before! Well, one thing was for sure, the enemy of his enemy was his friend. Spyro hoped that this new warrior was a friend. Well, there is only one way to find out! They kept after him and they raced off into the night, the sounds of battle growing closer with each passing minute…

End of Chapter 3


	4. First Impressions Count

Chapter 4: First Impressions Count

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

March 2, 2204

2337 Hours

Unknown Forest

Wagner sprinted as fast as he could. He was thankful he had acquired an assault rifle from one of the fallen Marines, yet he felt a pang of sorrow for them… they were just more casualties of the war that seemed to get worse and worse …

What he had to worry about now were the two dragons that were hot on his tail. Back at the clearing he watched as they were about to get killed right then and there. However, something possessed him to raise his pistol, leap from his cover, and engage the enemy. He didn't know what made him do it… one moment he was watching them get ambushed… the next… he was in a sword fight with one of the Lakadors.

Well, now he had a situation on his hands… these two dragons were now about to kill him! He heard one of them- a male- yell something at him, but he ignored it and kept up his escape.

He dropped the clip from the assault rifle and slipped another in. Once he heard the click that signaled a successful reload, he pulled the bolt to the rifle and turned around to engage the dragons.

He saw them coming… the purple in the lead and the black one behind…

He prepared to fire, but something kept his finger from pulling the trigger. He stood there for a full two seconds before giving up and returning to his fleeing. They kept at him, and he could hear them speaking legible English… they were asking him to stop. His fears of what dragons could or would do kept him from complying.

He heard gunfire pretty close which meant that there were more Marines in the area. He had to regroup with the Marines of Alpha… but they were probably spread out all over this forest.

He heard the dragons coming even faster and heard them take flight… he tried to run even faster but as he ran around the corner, he ran smack dab into another Lakador patrol. They spotted him and immediately opened fire.

Wagner leapt back but energy scorched his arm as he ran. He yelled and grabbed his left arm, a burn now starting to form. He went behind a tree nearby and tried to keep himself from taking a hit.

He blind fired his M74D assault weapon from his position and he heard Lakadors yell and keep up their assault. He heard the dragons and looked up to see them swoop in. He cursed and tried to conceal himself as much as he could, but he caught another bolt to his arm and he screamed and gripped the wound. He struggled to reach better cover and saw the dragons fly down. He knew things were about to get ugly…

He clenched his eyes shut and awaited for them to finish him off when he heard Lakadors scream out and opened his eyes to see that he was still alive. Astonished, he looked over the tree and saw the dragons attacking the Lakadors instead of him! The purple one kicked three Lakadors into the ground and hit them with a powerful bolt electricity before smashing another with his tail.

The black one grabbed a Lakador and tossed him into a group, right before blowing them with a blast of wind. The Lakadors were swept off their feet and smashed into each other, their weapons clattering to the ground.

Soon the last Lakador was dispatched by the black one as she blasted it with a haze of darkness and it screamed and slumped over. They then turned their attention to the lone Marine cooped up against the tree. Wagner clutched the wound on his arm, and closed his eyes as they approached.

However, it wasn't pain he felt, but something good. He opened his eyes to see the black one licking the blood from his wound and the purple one was helping him onto his feet. He reluctantly obliged and retrieved his rifle from the ground.

"Are you alright?" The purple one asked.

"Uh… yeah… thanks…" Wagner said, a bit dumbfounded at what had just occurred.

"Finally, someone who doesn't run!" The black one commented. Wagner chuckled a bit and was still a bit confused as to what they were saying.

"So… who are you? Are you a member of the Alliance? I don't think I've ever seen your kind at Warfang before…" The purple one said as he looked Wagner over.

"Uh… I'm a human… and I have no clue what you are talking about…" Wagner said in a confused manner.

"You're not an alliance member?" The black one asked as she sniffed him a bit.

"No… I don't know what the Alliance is… I'm a United Earth Republic Marine."

"A what?" The black one asked again.

"I'm a Marine."

"What's… that?" The purple one inquired.

"It's what we call our soldiers."

"Oh so you are a soldier." The purple one said, looking him over once more.

"Yeah, and I got to help more of them before those things kill 'em."

"Wait, there's more of you? What's your name, and who are these guys?"

"The names Wagner, and right now I gatta run!"

"Wait, we want to help!"

"Well hurry up, I gatta help my men!" With that said, the three dashed through the forest and Wagner shouldered his M74D, ready for the next firefight.

"By the way, my name's Spyro!" The purple one said as he ran along side Wagner.

"Yeah, and mine is Cynder!"

"Well Spyro, Cynder, it's er… nice to meet you." Wagner said while keeping an eye on the path ahead.

"So where are we going?" Spyro asked as he ran alongside his new ally.

"More Marines are spread out along this forest! I need to find them and get them to safety!" Wagner said as he dashed through some vines, clearing a path for the rest.

"Just how many of you are there?!" Cynder asked.

"A lot." Wagner simply said.

They dashed through the forest before coming upon yet another group of Lakadors. They spotted the trio and opened fire.

"What's these guy's problems?!" Cynder said as she dashed behind a tree.

"All I know is they don't like us!" Wagner said as he fired his rifle from behind a large rock.

"Well let's get rid of them!" Spyro said. Wagner nodded and Spyro leapt from behind the boulder he had been previously been hiding behind and engulfed himself in a ball of fire. He dashed at the Lakadors and they were engulfed in the wave of heat and flames.

Cynder joined in the mix with her shadow abilities, hurling enemies into the air and smashing them into the ground as she caught them in mid-air. Wagner shouldered his assault rifle and opened fire on a cluster moving in to the neutralize the dragons.

Spyro and Cynder then leapt together and Spyro grabbed a Lakador by the leg and started to twirl him in the air while Cynder raised her hind legs and delivered kicks to him as he came around. Spyro discarded the Lakador and Cynder snickered to herself as she spat a cloud of green gas at another group and they fell to the ground coughing and gagging.

Wagner picked off the last Lakadors as they tried to flee with his assault rifle and dropped the empty clip with a satisfied smirk to his face.

"Wow… you guys… are awesome fighters…" Wagner said as he slipped in a new clip to replace the spent one.

"Heh… it's only regular fighting, doesn't your species know any moves?"

"Uh… no… we can't do much of anything…"

"Then what are your species special abilities?"

"We… don't really have many."

"So what can you guys do?"

"Well um…" As Wagner pondered this, he spotted another group of Lakadors moving in and he raised his rifle. Spyro and Cynder turned around and saw the new hostiles as well. However, before any of them moved to engage them, the Lakadors were cut down in a hail of gunfire.

The Lakadors collapsed onto the ground as the bullets hit them and as the clouds cleared up from the impacts, Wagner saw three individuals come out of the trees.

"Lieutenant Wagner?" One of the new figures, a Marine, said.

"Allison!" Wagner exclaimed with joy.

Meanwhile…

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

March 3, 2204

0023 Hours

???

Karson was running. He didn't know why he was running, he was just… running. He felt the cool green grass slip from under his feet as he ran and it was then that he noticed that he wasn't wearing shoes. As he pondered just where his shoes had gone he finally realized just where he was… and that he was a kid.

Karson, no more then 7 in age, stood atop a small cliff overlooking his old home. He remembered the house. It was in a small town just north of Miami, Florida. The house was along a small rocky hill and Karson was about to go down there and play when he noticed he was now his regular age- 18.

As he stood he also noted that he was wearing his Marine combat armor and had no weapon. There were also people standing in the back yard of his old home. It was him, with Allison. They were no more then 7 years old at the time. He remembered this moment, it was a long time ago… long, long ago. He and Allison used to always go to each other's homes and play back then… only now they were older… and fighting a war… boy how things have changed…

Suddenly the scene had changed and Karson saw the area beyond the cliff he was standing on turn into a sea of molten lava. There was a tall mountain before him, spewing lava and smoke. He tried to figure out what was going on when the mountain split and out of it came a tall white metallic structure. It was enormous. Four spires connected together in a pyramid shape and at the tower's top a beam of purple shot out and raging storms crowded around the tower. There were several creatures that were gathering at the mountain's base, each looking up in awe and horror at the volcano.

As Karson strained his eyes even further, he saw something in the purple beam… a dragon. Wait, a dragon? Lakadors were one thing but a dragon? This dragon- like the Lakadors- had purple scales and had golden horns and underbelly. The dragon was small, about 3 feet tall and 5 feet from tail to front. He guessed the dragon to be around the age of 15. The dragon looked at Karson and Karson felt something inside of him quiver. The dragon placed a menacing smile upon his face and the beam grew stronger and stronger.

The mountain exploded outwards and every creature sitting at its base was engulfed and destroyed. Karson shielded his face but he to, was engulfed in the sea of destruction. The last thing he remembered he was yelling and flying through the air…

___________________________

"What's going on out there?" One of the privates asked.

"If I knew, I would have already told you now wouldn't I?"

"You know what Parsons, why don't you-"

"Shut the hell up, both of you!" The Sergeant hissed. They both grumbled and sat back down.

Karson opened his eyes and saw that he was alive. Suddenly everything started to smash into his head… the war… the battle… the tunnel… the bridge… the door… and this weird new world… Suddenly the memory of them being knocked out also surfaced and he then realized that they were in a jail cell. It was a crudely built one, only about 10 feet by 10 feet with iron metal bars and dark bricks for the walls. The small jail house was lit by candles and a foul smell hung in the air.

"Well look who finally woke up… did you have a nice snooze ya pansy?" One of the Marines said to Karson as he stood up.

"Knock it off Daniels…" Another private spoke up.

"All of you, shut the hell up! There's something going on outside!" As the Sergeant once again scolded the Marines, Karson indeed heard some event taking place outside of their building. There were shouts, sounds of swords clanging, and screams. It was obviously a battle. Had the Lakadors engaged the Cheetahs? Maybe… it obviously wasn't a Marine raid, for there were no gunshots.

The room shook a bit and they heard more screams outside.

"I think I got it!" One of the Marines said. Karson turned and saw a Corporal trying to pick the lock on their cell.

Before they did anything else they heard footsteps come towards their cell. They looked up and the corporal backed off as two cheetahs came into their jail building.

"These are them…" One of them said as he presented the Marines to what was obviously their town's leader.

"What in the name are these filth? They walk like Cheetahs, yet have no hair. They aren't anything I've seen before… must be some filth that wondered our way…"

"We can talk ya know!" Parsons exclaimed in anger.

"So they are intelligent…" The leader commented.

"Yeah… we are… now why did you attack us?" The Sergeant demanded.

"Why did you go into our village? We attack any outsiders…"

"Well we're not from around here…"

"We can tell… your weaponry is most peculiar…" With that the leader picked up one of the assault rifles and inspected it. He set it down to the side and looked at the humans with distaste.

"I am Boruk, leader of this village… why have you come here?"

"We're 2nd Platoon, Alpha Company."

"I didn't ask for who you were, but why you came!"

"We came because we have no where else to go! After those damn Lakadors drove us from Sirus we came into the forest and stumbled upon your village!"

"Lies! You must be in league with the dark one! Be gone filth!" With that the Boruk left them and the Sergeant walked over to the bars infuriated.

"It's time to show this punk who he's messing with!" With that the Sergeant kicked the iron bars, knocking them off their hinge and sending them to the floor with a loud _clang!_

The Marines leapt from the prison and sprang for their weapons. The Sergeant tossed Karson his rifle and as he chucked his shotgun to him he said, "Let's teach them a lesson Private!"

"Yes sir!" Karson said as he caught the shotgun. He placed the rifle over his back and shouldered his shotgun as he fed the weapon with powerful 8 gauge shotgun shells.

Karson reached into his pack and retrieved a red bandana. He tied the cloth around his head in replacement of his helmet. He once again brought the shotgun to firing position and with the others, moved to the door.

The Sergeant kicked open the door to their jail hut and they dashed into the night air. Outside there was a scene of absolute chaos.

Several Cheetahs were wielding swords, engaging enemies that Karson didn't even recognize.

"Those aren't Lakadors!"

"What the hell are they?!"

"Why are you asking me?! Just shoot!" The Marines unloaded their assault rifles and Carbines. The Sergeant carried an M78C Carbine which he used to his advantage while Karson wielded the M22 Combat Shotgun. The 8 gauge shotgun filled the air with a loud roar as Karson pulled the trigger and he pumped it to eject the spent shell.

Karson watched to his delight as a Cheetah was knocked down from the shotgun's buck. The new creatures caught sight of the Marines and Karson could tell that they weren't happy to see them.

These new creatures were even odder then Lakadors. They sort of reminded Karson of those creatures that always appeared in old novels… Orcs were they? They were tall and red, with a cross bow on their arm and their body looked like a moving piece of lava with arms and legs.

There were others as well. There were several small creatures that were green and hopped around as they carried their swords. Along with them were these bug-like creatures that were almost about weight height to Karson. They too wielded swords and they happily engaged the cheetahs.

A few of the new hostiles dashed at the Marines and they unloaded their weapons onto the creatures. They toppled over backwards as the bullets hit them and more tried to make an attempt at the Marines.

"C'mon, there's too many of 'em! We're falling back!" The Sergeant bellowed as he reloaded his Carbine.

Karson fired off two more shotgun shells and prepared to fall back.

"C'mon, let's go!" They dashed towards the woods and Parsons covered them with a scoped M74D. They finally got into the forest and all 6 Marines were on their way.

Karson reloaded his shotgun as they dashed through the night, trying to escape the battle raging behind them. As they went they heard sounds all around. Karson quickly placed the final shell into the shotgun and loaded it.

As they stopped to find out what those sounds were, the same creatures that had attacked the Cheetahs as the village sprung from the tree lings, swords at the ready.

"Contacts!" One of the Marines yelled and soon the whole area was lit up with gunfire.

Karson dodged to the left as a creature swung its sword at him. He cocked the shotgun and fired a shell at it, blowing the creature several feet back and into a tree.

Karson cocked the weapon again and put another shell into three more attackers. They were blown into the ground and through the air via the powerful 8 gauge buck.

The last creature fell as Daniels fired a burst from his M10 Sub Machine Gun into it and kicked it away.

"What the hell are these things Sergeant?!"

"Hell if I know, just keep shooting!" They dashed through the forest once more and soon came to a waterfall. In the distance there were sounds of gunfire and small pockets of fire rising from the trees. There was another cliff in the distance, almost parallel to theirs.

"Alright, take 5 people!" With that said, Karson sat down and breathed a sigh of relief to be out of that jail… but he wanted to know what happened to Allison… he missed her so much…

Meanwhile…

"So… they're called Lakadors?"

"Yeah, that's what they're called…"

"But… why are they attacking you guys, where did you guys come from, and-"

"Wow Cynder, one question at a time…"

Spyro, Cynder, Wagner, Allison, and a few other Marines sat near a fire that they had set up atop a cliff. They had found several Marines from their Nighthawk and now were camping atop a cliff that they had seen from their valley. Across from them they saw another set up ridges, cliffs and other high rises that ran parallel to their own.

"So what now Lieutenant?"

"Well… we keep moving. The 72nd is probably spread all around this valley and we need to round up as many as we can and flag for pickup… only problem is I can't seem to get the radios to work…" Wagner said while he tapped his helmet mike.

"Sir, I'm getting a weak signal! Sounds like Colonel Dyke!" One of the soldiers said as he ran up and handed the officer his microphone.

_"All units… this is colonel dyke… tried… airlifting bravo… Nighthawks low on fuel… units hold position… morning… repeat… units… position until morning…" _

"Damn, the signal keeps breaking up!"

"Well, from the sounds of it the nighthawks are low on fuel and there won't be any airlifts until morning…"

"So… what do we do now?"

"Well… I guess we hold position…"

"What's going on Wagner?" Spyro asked the Lieutenant. Wagner sighed.

"Once we ditched the _Achilles_ like I said, we dropped all around this valley. They were supposed to come in and air lift us to the UERNF _Typhus_ but apparently the Nighthawks are out of fuel and won't make pick ups until tomorrow…"

"Fuel?" Cynder inquired.

"It's like food, but for our machinery." Wagner explained.

"Oh…" She said, now understanding.

"Well we're stuck here until they do…" At that moment, more sounds came from the microphone and they got up and listened intently.

_"This is Lieutenant Baker, Delta Company! We need support, they have us surrounded! They're not Lakadors! Shit, they just cut off our flank!"_ The radio suddenly snapped off.

"Damn, sounds like Delta needs our help! Where are they?" Wagner said while standing up.

"The signal came from a position a few clicks north of here."

"We'll follow the river. Alpha, let's move out!"

"Sir, wouldn't it be better to wait until morning?" Allison asked as she stretched.

"They need our help and we need to find the rest of Alpha as well!" The Marines groaned but got up.

"So we're off to find more of your 'Marines'?" Spyro asked while standing up as well.

"Yeah, there's a group about a few clicks north of here and they need help."

"Well let's go then." Cynder said while dashing off towards the river. The others quickly followed and they ran to the river side and started their path north. They heard several distant gunshots and as Spyro and Cynder dashed alongside the Marines he wondered why they were here.

Spyro remembered Wagner mention how they got here, a random portal opened to their world called a 'hyperspace portal' or something. What were the chances of it opening at that exact moment that they needed it? Why did they bring those 'Lakadors' with them? Why did they come, now, of all times, especially with that vision? What was going on?

Spyro's head swarmed with thoughts and Cynder must've seen this, for she set her paw upon his shoulder.

"Spyro… what's the matter?"

"It's… nothing…"

"No Spyro… what's on your mind?" Spyro sighed.

"Well… why did these guys come here, now of all times? Why not while Malefor was here? How'd that portal just randomly open up? What of that vision? Why'd they come right after I had that vision?"

"Spyro… I wish I knew… I really did…" She said with a low sigh. Spyro looked at the ground sadly but they kept up with the Marines as they walked up the path.

As they walked along the river, a pair of eyes watched them… satisfied. However, unlike the ones that belonged to the black dragon, these belonged to that… of another purple dragon. The dragon sat in the trees and sighed sadly. The female purple dragon watched the smaller Spyro with keen interest.

"Spyro… be safe…" She said softly. She heard footsteps behind her and saw another purple dragon- a male- walk up to her.

"Is he on his way?" He asked. The female nodded.

"Has he met up with the United Earth Marines?"

"Yes… he has… they are off to recover more Marines…"

"Good… we can only hope this works…" He motioned for her to follow and they left the scene as silently as they had come.

Spyro felt something and turned to look at the trees behind them. He sighed and quickly went off with the Marine group once more and off into the night.

End of Chapter 4


	5. Scattered Effort

Chapter 5: Scattered Effort

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

March 3, 2204

0212 Hours

Alongside 'Alpha River'

"How far away is a few clicks?!" One of the Marines griped as they walked.

"Far enough." Wagner simply responded. Allison kept the rear guarded as the small group of Marines and two pilots walked alongside what they now referred to as 'Alpha River'.

Spyro and Cynder walked alongside them and looked up to the stars. Spyro was being soothed by the sounds of the river slowly running. Spyro wondered just how far away 'Delta' was. They had walked for an hour or two already with no sign of them and Wagner made it sound like they still had some walking to do.

They heard some sounds off nearby and Wagner held up his hand. Spyro was wondering what he was doing but noticed the other Marines with them fall to a knee and halt in their tracks. In their crouch positions it looked as if they were hiding from something.

"What're you doing?" Spyro asked. Wagner hushed him and talked in a low whisper.

"There's a village up ahead, Allison, Jackson, go recon the village! Allison take point!" As he whispered this, Allison and another soldier- Jackson- dashed through the grass and went to the edge of a ridge that overlooked what looked like a small village.

Spyro was a bit confused… but sat silently and awaited their return.

Allison dashed through the grass, keeping low the whole way. They arrived at the edge of the ridge that overlooked the village. The ridge was a 10 foot high cliff which gave a perfect look over the series of crudely erected huts that made up the village.

She slipped on a telescopic sight to her rifle and peered through the scope. Her vision was magnified by 4X and she saw a few creatures sitting around. They were Lakadors…

Of course… but why were they in a village? She looked around and saw a perfectly intact UERMC M7887 Jaguar MBT! This worried her. Tanks had been dropped with Marines during the drop and wherever there was a tank, there were Marines. This was bad.

She franticly scanned the area with her rifle and found the Marines in question. They were tied up and tossed to the side, as were some other creatures. The new creatures looked like… anthro cheetahs?

She disengaged the scope and looked through it again. She wasn't seeing things. They were cheetahs. Well, she just finished talking with dragons, so this shouldn't shock her.

She watched in horror as one of the Lakadors grabbed a Marine and tossed him to the ground. The Lakador kicked the soldier before raising his head and saying something to the soldier. She saw the Marine spit on the Lakadors face and the Lakador recoiled back. The Lakador got infuriated and punched the soldier across the face.

The Lakador then drew a sword and Allison shut her eyes right before the Lakador delivered a fatal blow to the neck with the sword. She heard the silent scream of the fallen soldier and she opened her eyes again to see the Lakador sheath his sword and walk away.

She cursed to herself quietly and wanted to just drop the bastard right then and there. But she knew that would give them away and they'd never rescue those Marines! She calmly left the safety to her rifle on and watched as the Lakadors interrogated the Marines and cheetahs. She removed her eyes from the scope and turned to Private Jackson who was also watching the scene before them.

"Jackson, get the Lieutenant over here! We need to help those Marines!" Jackson nodded and was immediately on his way down to the where Wagner was.

Meanwhile…

0242 Hours

Unknown Stretch of the Forest

"Keep up the fire!"

"Over there!"

"In the tree!"

Karson tossed himself to the ground as an arrow sailed over his head and fired a short burst into his attacker. The horned creature snarled before toppling over. Karson picked himself into a crouch position and fired a prolonged burst into the tree line around him, multiple creatures falling dead out of them.

"They're getting close!" One of the Marines yelled and Karson turned to see several creatures that were about his waist height dash from the trees and slash huge swords at two Marines. The Marines were knocked down but not killed. Their Marine armor protected them from the swords but they still landed hard on their ass and Karson and two other Marines swerved their rifles to assist.

Karson pumped 6 rounds into one of them and the other was thrown back into the bushes by a burst from the other two Marines. As Karson finished off another his rifle started to clack from the bolt- his ammunition clip was empty. He cursed, saw more coming and placed his rifle on his back. He grabbed his shotgun and pumped 3 shells into the oncoming creatures. The loud BAM made a few others cover their ears and try to flee.

The hostiles kept up their assault even as the Marines retaliated. A few got lucky and almost scored lethal blows to the soldiers with their weapons. Thankfully though, the Marines kept them at bay and finally the last of them retreated into the woods.

"Alright damn, why's everybody trying to kill us?!" One of the soldiers said as he dropped the empty clip from his rifle and inserted a new one. Karson sighed and placed a few more shells into his shotgun. Upon his examination, he found that he was starting to get low on ammunition. He only had ten shells left and about four more clips for his assault rifle. If they didn't find a way out of this hell hole soon or find any trace of human forces, they'd be in some hot water.

They started off on the path again and as they neared a clearing in the forest Karson began to hear the sounds of water. As they neared the source, it became clear that there was in fact a river nearby.

The river ran with cool, crisp water that filled the air with an ever cool mist of vapor that slapped against Karson's face. The other Marines trotted off towards it and undid their canteens. Karson followed suit and set his rifle down as he made a grab for his canteen. He dipped the canteen into the water and filled it to capacity before retrieving it and screwing the cap on once more.

"Alright, everybody rest a bit, we're going to try to move out again as soon as possible." The Sergeant said calmly as he sat in the grass. Karson sighed. They did not know where the hell they were. They were obviously not on Sirus anymore… that tunnel must have taken them somewhere… somewhere new… somewhere mysterious… Where ever the hell it was it sure as hell didn't have any humans. This place was devoid of any United Earth Forces or any other Human denomination for that matter. It had been known for other human governments to break off from the United Earth Republic and started their own Colonial Jurisdiction else where, but it didn't look like any were here.

Karson made a grab for his canteen, undid the cap, and let the cool waters flow into his awaiting mouth. He felt a wave of rejuvenation wash over him like the waters themselves. As he sipped on the waters his thoughts turned to Allison… Oh how he missed her… but he only liked her as a friend, right? He had always been fond of her, but as a friend would be, right? Did he… love her? No, no, that would be a mistake, for she surely didn't feel anything towards him…

With a heavy feeling in his heart he redid the cap on the canteen and set it back on his belt. He retrieved his M74 assault weapon and set it on his lap. He tweaked the sights on the weapon so that it would be more accurate whe4D assault rifle.n in use in the forest. He had the sights set for high range, for use in the city. Now that they were in the forest, the gun battles were closer in proximity.

Once he finished with the weapon he set it aside and looked up at the stars. The stars were in a different alignment then on Sirus, confirming that they weren't on Sirus.

As he gazed upon the stars he saw something up there… a constellation that caught him that was of a… dragon? The dragon constellation was more brightly lit then the other stars. The dragon looked familiar…. Though he couldn't quite put his finger on it… like he had seen it before… He sighed and dismissed it.

"Shhh… anyone else hear that?" One on the Privates asked.

Karson listened in and heard the unmistakable sounds of… gunfire! There were humans in the area! Remembering the Cheetahs however, Karson's hopes were diminished as he wondered just how advanced they had… but he knew that those sounded like the retort from the M74D Assault Rifle.

That meant that there were Human forces in the area! And for that matter, United Earth Forces! The other Marines stood up and grabbed their rifles as the same thoughts entered their heads.

"Hot damn, our guys are here!"

"Shit yeah!"

"That doesn't mean that they know where we are, we need to link up with them! Come on!" The Sergeant said and they grabbed their gear and leapt up to regroup with friendly forces.

They dashed through the forest near the river and kept tracking the sounds of the gunfire until they saw a village on the other side. They could see a gun battle already under way between United Earth Marines and Lakadors. The Marines with Karson cheered as they saw that the other Marines were assaulting the village and kicking the Lakadors' ass.

They were so intent on the fight that they didn't even notice someone slip in from behind them.

At once one of the Marines dropped his rifle and they heard a wet sound and turned around to see one of the Marines get stabbed through the stomach by a Lakador. The Lakador was covering the soldiers mouth to cover any sounds. The other Marines quickly brought their rifles to bear but as soon as they did, a volley of dark energy rained from the bushes nearby and smashed into the Marines. They screamed and fell over as the dark energy splashed over them. Karson fired off a burst, killing the attacking Lakador but had to get low to not get hit.

"Into the river, double time!" the Sergeant yelled. The remaining Marines made a blind dash for the river and Karson watched as the two in front of him jumped into the waters and swim towards the Marines on the other side.

As Karson was about to jump, he felt a energy bolt hit him in the side and he collapsed into the waters. He tried to fight the current, but his energy was low and the burns from the hit were intense. He finally gave up and let the current take him away.

Meanwhile…

0259 Hours

Alongside Alpha River near unknown village

"Alright, Jackson, you're in charge of 1st, go along the side and flank while 3rd and 2nd move along the other side! Wait for my command!" Wagner whispered as he knelt in one of the bushes along the ridge. The small platoon of 10  
Marines nodded and moved as quietly as they could to their assigned positions.

Spyro and Cynder sat in the brush as well, near Wagner.

"Where do you want us to go?" Spyro asked.

"You're with me, let's go!" Wagner said and they slowly went down the ridge. Spyro could see the other Marines setting up alongside the whole village, hiding in bushes and tall grass. Yet, they just sat there. Spyro figured that they were going to ambush, use the element of surprise.

Spyro sat hunched in the grass and waited for the first strike. The other Marines quietly waited in their positions and Wagner motioned for Spyro and Cynder to follow. They did and quietly moved through the soft grass and crept up to a group of Marine and Cheetah prisoners who were tossed to the side and there were a few Lakador guards standing by, watching for anything.

Wagner gave a few hand signals which the other Marines saw and did. The Marines started to move inwards and Spyro saw a Marine sneak up to the prisoners and as the Lakadors weren't looking, started to undo their bindings.

One of the Lakadors spotted this, snareled dashed to slay the soldier. That's when Wagner screamed, "NOW!"

At once the Marines hiding in the shadows opened fire, the area becoming lit up by their muzzle flashes. The Lakadors toppled over and screamed as a result of the sudden Marine ambush. Spyro and Cynder took this opportunity to dash into the fray and they locked onto the first Lakadors they could.

"Friendlies moving up, shift your fire!" Wagner yelled. He dashed up to join Spyro and Cynder and as he did, the Marines ceased their fire towards their area, ensuring they didn't get hit in the crossfire.

Spyro tossed a Lakador to the ground before breathing electricity onto the others, paralyzing them. Cynder unleashed a torrent of shadow breath onto the Lakadors which caught them into a haze of purple black mist. They toppled to the ground and Spyro engulfed his body in fire as he swiftly plowed through them in his mighty comet dash.

The Marines along the side poured their gunfire at Lakadors trying to flee, silencing their horrid reptilian cries for help. One of the Marines tossed a grenade and a hut partially collapsed into itself as chunks of ground were tossed up to accompany the black and red explosion that ripped through the village.

The Lakadors then made an all out retreat and the Marines moved in and secured the village and the now two UERMC Tanks.

Spyro grabbed on the ropes and broke them, allowing the Cheetahs and other Marines to gain their freedom. They stretched and began to cheer as they saw the Lakadors in full retreat.

"Thanks for the assist sir!" One of the soldiers said to Wagner as he helped him up.

"Sergeant Malarkey, where's the rest of the Company?"

"Don't know sir, we managed to round up 3rd and a few parts of 1st but we're still missing a large part of 1st platoon. They seemed to have just vanished.

"Damn… well we're on our way to go help Delta, they need help but I don't know if they are still alive…"

"Well there's one way to find out isn't there?"

"Well we're on our way then."

"Oh and who are they?" Malarkey asked, motioning to the two dragons.

"I'm Spyro."

"And I'm Cynder."

The Marine Sergeant wasn't at all taken back by this. He had already made conversation with cheetahs, so he wasn't at all surprised that the next step were dragons.

"Get those tanks up and running, we're moving out!"

"Thank you so much Spyro,,, and… Sergeant, you're aid has been much appreciated." One of the Cheetahs said as he dusted himself off. Spyro presumed that he was the chief of the village.

"I didn't do anything though, its Lieutenant Wagner you should be thanking, he's the one who led the rescue!" The Cheetah bowed to Wagner who bowed in return.

"Are there any other villages in the area, where are we anyway?"

"You are in the Avalar Pass. The Valley is just beyond and there are a few villages along the way. My guess is that they've fallen pray to the similar misfortunes that we have."

"Well let's get going then, we need to help them!"

"Sir, are those Marines swimming in the water?" One of the privates pointed out. Sure enough, there were two UERMC Marines who crawled from the river and panted as they laid themselves out onto the grass.

"Sergeant Bradly?" Wagner asked as he ran up.

"Lieutenant?" The soldier asked as he started to stand up.

"Wait, Sergeant?! Were you with the others from 2nd?!" Allison asked as she ran up. The Sergeant looked at her, remembering that she was from the same platoon.

"Karson was with us… but he and the others were killed on the other side of the river…" Allison had a look of sadness wash over her. Wagner considered going to the other side to launch a rescue op but dismissed it remembering the besieged Delta Company.

The tanks came to life and they thundered down the path. The Marines got onto the tanks and the vehicles drove onwards. Spyro and Cynder followed, eyeing the tanks with interest.

At least with this armor they're efforts at rescuing Delta was increased… but they weren't out of the woods yet… not by a long shot…

0315 Hours

???

"Who am I?" Only silence answered…

"What am I?" Again, the question was met with silence…

The void was eternal… as was the desire for answers… Questions flowed through this mind… but with no resolution in sight… Just who was he? Where was he? Suddenly memories began to resurface.

He was Private Joshua Karson, a soldier in the United Earth Republic Marine Corps. But why was he here? Just where was… here? As he inspected his surroundings he found himself floating in a sea of darkness… no light to be seen.

He looked around and saw that there were memories flowing through the void. His childhood, his teenager days, even some of his actions as a Marine flowed through his head. Suddenly other images popped into his head… those that he did not recognize. They were of dragons… fighting… why were they fighting? Who were they fighting? As Karson looked an entire scene was depicted in front of him.

A huge battle was erupting in front of him. Two sides duked it out with each other… collomns of fire dashed between the opposing armies… but, they weren't beams of fire… but rather light. The other side was made of dragons as well, but they used darkness… In the center there was another dragon, but he was of another color then the others. He was purple… The purple dragon built up a powerful beam of energy and leveled the area. Both armies were gone… all except for the purple dragon. The purple dragon flew away and left the scene. As Karson watched a voice started to drone through his head.

_"Young one, your arrival is at the most desperate of times… We must act quickly to gather the others and stop this disaster before it occurs…"_ A female voice said to him.

"Wait, disaster? Others? Desperate? What are you talking about?!"

_"There isn't much time to explain… you must locate the others and find the purple dragon and keep him from repeating history… I need you to do this for me… go now, quickly."_ The voice quickly began to fade and Karson started to look around franticly."

"Wait, what's gunna happen?! Tell me!" Suddenly everything became wet.

Karson's eyes shot open and he noticed that he was no longer in the deep void, but lying on the ground near the river. He gripped his head and noticed that he had no weapons to speak of. He cursed his horrible luck and stood up. He must have drifted for a while… but for just how long he didn't know. Then he remembered that he had gotten shot!

He felt around his back and felt where the armor had indeed melted away in an area. He even felt his bare flesh… but it was perfectly fine… no injury… Karson was in complete astonishment. He sighed as he started off in a random direction, hoping to find some trace of humanity in this screwed up world.

Karson must have walked for a while before finding anything. He finally came across a downed UER escape pod. He looked around but there were no bodies. After leaving the site he found the dead body of an HACO Special Operations soldier. Next to the soldier was an M74C Assault Rifle. The rifle was in perfect condition and as Karson picked it up he grinned. The C variant of the M74 was a specially modified M74D. Even though regular Marines used these as well, it was more common place for an HACO or Army Ranger to have these.

He noted the laser dot reflex sight, grip, flashlight, and even bayonet attachments to the rifle. The reflex sight was much better then a regular sight… it allowed for more vision since it shot a laser on a clear targeting panel where the regular sights would have been.

Karson's favorite part by far was the bayonet attachment to the weapon. It would prove to be more effective then a knife and especially since some Lakadors preferred to use swords, he now had something to use as a 'sword' so to speak.

He picked up a few clips of ammunition for the rifle and started off towards any sign of life. As he went he picked up a few Fragmentation Grenades and even an Incendiary Grenade. These things were excellent for clearing out areas with one sweep… After all, who didn't like watching enemies get engulfed in a wall of fire?

He kept on and slowly approached a few bodies of Lakadors and a few of those new creatures. These new creatures were the same that they had seen a the village. Karson walked over and inspected the Lakador body. He found a few of their Ice Grenades and even an Electric Grenade. These things were awesome…. Though he still preferred to watch explosions… which is why he favored the Fragmentation Grenade to all.

He kept moving down the path and heard a few sounds of battle in the distance. He started to jog down the path and noticed that there were a few floating orbs around him… probably fireflies… The forest environment around him began to become more open and the night sky illuminated the area and made in into a surreal scene. He noted more escape pods and now he started to see Marine regulars lying on the ground.

As Karson walked alongside one of the fallen soldiers he noted that on his helmet there was the markings that made him out to be a member of Delta Company, 3rd Platoon. The Marines must have been spread all over this entire area. From the signs that there were escape pods this world must be uninhabited and the Marines just hit the ground, like him. As he looked over the Marine again he noticed that the Marine was a member of the 72nd Marine Division… the same as him. Was Alpha here? Was Allison here? He had to know… As he retrieved the soldiers ammo, he looked around and heard sounds all around of battle. He dashed off towards them.

He looked up and saw that there was a cliff face with a waterfall just in front of him. He went off towards it and started to scale its cliff face. The cliff was easily 20 meters up and as Karson reached the top he looked out and saw a battle raging a few dozen meters ahead. There were Marines trying to hold a position from those creatures that he had seen earlier.

The creatures swung swords at them and archers fired arrows at the Marines as they took cover behind rocks and trees. Smaller creatures came from the ground and had wings on their backs. They reminded him of mosquitoes except they had arms, legs, and swords! They flew up to a Marine Corporal and swung their swords at him. The soldier's Marine armor protected him but he was swept off his feet and flew into the ground nearby. The other Marine with him sprayed the creatures with a burst from his rifle which put them down instantly.

Karson dashed over, readying his rifle and making sure it was ready to fire. He dashed behind a rock that was positioned about 12 yards from the actual fight. However from here he had a perfect line of sight and fire on the hostile's vulnerable flank and from here, they wouldn't suspect him to attack.

He raised the rifle and aligned the laser onto the target and placed it on the creatures. He pressed down on the trigger and felt the rifle kick back on him. He heard the familiar tat, tat, tat, of the rifles retort and heard empty bullet casings clang against each other as they flew from the ejection port.

A few of those flying creatures immediately fell to the ground as clouds erupted from their sides, signaling a clean hit. He moved the rifle and put the sight on a few archers in the back and squeezed the trigger again. The .22 caliber bullets flew from the barrel and connected with the archers as they aimed for his fellow Marines.

Clouds erupted from them as the bullet's impact caused any dirt on them to immediately get blown off. The creatures snarled and ceased their archer fire as they collapsed onto the ground from the fire. Karson withdrew and dropped the empty clip from the M74C and slipped another in. After Karson heard the click he reached and pulled down on the ejection port, loading the rifle.

He once again put the weapon out and fired it. Once more the air was filled with the weapons retort and the weapon flashed a yellow-white as the gas from the exploding powder escaped the muzzle.

Several more creatures were silenced by his continues gunfire and he smiled slightly as a few finally took notice to why several of their numbers were falling. One of them pointed at him and snarled. His smile disappeared and he pulled away and got up to retreat as some of them came his way.

The other Marines saw this and returned fire with renewed vigor. Bullets and arrows flew this way and several Marines and enemies alike took hits and toppled over. Karson gritted his teeth and tossed one of his new Ice Grenades into the enemy ranks.

The grenade flashed blue and the creatures around it were encased in ice and fell to the ground. Finally the creatures let up their attacks and began to pull back. The Marines cheered and rounded up their wounded. Karson sighed to himself and stood up from his rock. He started off towards the Marines that were in the position and he saw a few of them take notice of them and cheer a bit.

One Marine dashed towards Karson and he saw the silver bar on the Marine's helmet. The Marine was a Lieutenant.

"Lieutenant, sir!" Karson said as the Marine approached and the Marine smiled.

"What's your name soldier?"

"Private Joshua Karson, 72nd, Alpha Company."

"Alpha? Where's the rest of your guys?"

"Not sure sir, we got sepearted on Sirus and we came here via a tunnel and my squad got whipped out. I don't know where Alpha is."

"Tunnel? What the hell are you talking about, we came on board the Achilles! Where did your nighthawk land?"

"Nighthawk?"

"Nevermind… we need to regroup before those things come back. For now you're with us Marine."

"Yes sir." They walked off and took position near the cliff face and they looked down to the valley below and off in the distance forests stretched for miles.

"We need to find the rest of Delta, they're around here somewhere!" the Lieutenant said aloud. Karson presumed he was the Company Commander.

Karson reloaded his M74C and readied for whatever was going to come out next. The soldiers also reloaded and Karson heard the sounds of Lakadors coming. He frowned as he saw Lakadors emerge from the trees in the valley below and spot the Marines above.

The Marines opened fire into the valley below and the Lakadors began to fall as they took hits. The Marines kept up the fire as long as they could and Karson joined in on the fray. However, a Lakador thrown sonic grenade detonated below and the wave of sound that came from it blew away the rock beneath Karson and he tumbled below as the ground gave way. He tried to grab onto something but found himself tumbling farther and farther downwards.

He hit the ground and was knocked out.

End of Chapter 5


	6. On the Road to Delta

Chapter 6: On the Road to Delta

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

March 3, 2204

0334 Hours

Marine Vehicle Convoy, moving alongside Alpha River

"Keep it up, we're almost there!" Wagner yelled as the tanks moved down the path. Spyro and Cynder walked alongside the tanks and the now 57 man Alpha Company. The Marines trudged along as fast as they could and they could here the sounds of battle coming from Delta Company and other Marine Companies.

"Keep and eye out, Kilo, Epsilon, and Theta have hit the ground around here somewhere! Keep and eye out for stray Marines!" Wagner called out.

Spyro remembered what the Cheetah had said to him… they were in Avalar… which meant now Spyro knew where they were… this was a good thing… maybe now they could find some allies… and maybe join up with the Alliance… he was sure with the Alliance's help these 'Lakadors' would fall quickly.

The star light on the tanks made their armor reflect an array of colors. As they went, Spyro watched as the vehicles lumbered down the path, crushing anything in their path. He was somewhat impressed, but wondered just what they could do. Their weapons reminded him of the catapult that he saw in use to defend Warfang. He wondered if they worked the same.

They continued until the river came near a small valley with a 20 meter cliff that overlooked the area. Spyro saw a few grey vehicles imbedded into the ground. They looked like they had come in great speed and smashed into the ground just as so.

There were a few dead bodies near them. They were the bodies of those 'Marines'. Just how many of these guys were there that came here to the Dragon Realms? Where were they all?! Just how did they get here anyway? Wagner hadn't really gone into detail about their arrival.

Spyro saw Cynder dash over to their bodies and look them over. She finally realized that they were in fact dead and had a sad look on her face. Wagner frowned at the sight but kept on. As they moved in a bit further, it looked as if there had been a massive battle between the 'Lakadors' and 'Marines'. Their bodies littered the ground all around. One of the Marines ran over to one of the fallen soldiers, lifted up the body and looked it over.

"Sir, they're from Delta sir!" The Marine proclaimed.

"Looks like we found Delta, keep your eyes open for survivors!" Wagner ordered. The Marines dashed all around but everywhere they looked they found nothing but fallen Marines. Allison had a sad look on her face and Cynder caught this. Cynder walked over and eyed Allison the whole way.

"Allison, what's wrong? You look sad…" Cynder asked as she walked nearer.

"Oh… it's nothing…" She said as she whipped what looked like tears away. Cynder frowned but sighed. They continued their search.

"Well sir, Delta was here but there are not enough bodies to make up for all of Delta. My guess is that they either hadn't regrouped yet or retreated into the woods somewhere." Malarkey said as he walked up to Wagner.

"Sounds about right… alright Alpha let's move out!" As Wagner said this they started off and out of the small valley.

As they did this, they heard movement all around and they heard shouts… not from Lakadors… but from…

"Contacts! What the hell are these things?!" One of the Marines shouted out. Spyro turned his head sharply and found several enemies emerging from the brush. They were the same creatures that fought in the Dark Master's army! They were Grumblins and Orcs! The Orcs used the crossbows attached to their arms and fired at the Marines who were struggling to get ready.

"What the hell are these things?!"

"Who cares? Open fire!" The Marines fired at the new enemies and the Grumblins dashed up to the Marines with their swords in hand. The Orcs held a position far away and fired arrows at the Marines once more.

"Damn, who are these guys?!" Wagner said as he took cover behind a rock and fired his rifle.

"They're part of the Dark Master's army!" Spyro said as he knelt near the same rock.

"Didn't we defeat him?!" Cynder said as she ducked to avoid an arrow.

"Yeah but these guys are still fighting!"

"Who the hell is the Dark Master?!" Wagner asked as he reloaded his rifle.

"He's a guy we've been fighting! We'll talk about him later!" Spyro yelled as he was forced to duck as well.

"Fair enough!" With that Wagner fired off a burst before taking cover behind the rock and reloading again.

"Let's go!" Spyro said to Cynder and she nodded before they both dashed out to engage the Dark Master's forces.

"Shift your fire, friendlies moving up!" Wagner yelled. The Marines in turn shifted their fire so they wouldn't hit Spyro and Cynder as they dashed up.

Spyro latched onto the nearest Grumblin and tossed the creature into the air. The Grumblin flew though the air before Cynder caught him in mid-flight and chunked him into the ground. Spyro then formed a ball of electricity around his body and flew through the approaching Grumblins and they were paralyzed in the wake of the high voltage attack.

Spyro then went for one of the Orcs as it stood at the end of the forest and fired its crossbow. Spyro snarled as the arrow snapped on his scales and cracked a few of them. He kept at it through and plowed right into the Orc and knocked him down. The Orc knocked Spyro off and attempted to swipe at him. Spyro grabbed his arm as it came near and drew the creature nearer before using an earth blast at point blank range. The energy from the attack spread out like a shotgun blast and blew the creature into a tree before it slumped over.

The other Orcs caught sight of this and went at the purple dragon. They never got the chance, for Cynder flew overhead and breathed her fear attack on them. They clutched onto their heads as they were overcome with their greatest fears and fell to the ground. They became easy targets for the Marines who picked them off with bursts from their assault weapons.

Suddenly several trees were knocked over and a large forest troll stepped from the knocked over trees. The creature was covered in a green-like fur and walked on its legs and fore-arms, much like a monkey.

"Holy shit, look at the size of that thing!" One of the Marines proclaimed.

"Where are these guys coming from?" Cynder asked almost in a scoff.

"Just who is leading them? The Dark Master is long gone…" Spyro said as he glared at the oncoming creatures.

"Well what if…" Cynder had an almost quaver in her voice as she turned to Spyro

"You don't think…" Spyro had a similar quaver as he returned her suggestion.

Spyro and Cynder exchanged glances as they tried to figure out the puzzle when the sound of the tanks firing brought them back to reality. Spyro clenched his teeth as the tank fired off its main gun, the 80 mm cannon. Like the weapons the Marines used, Spyro didn't even see the projectile. As soon as the tank lurched back from the shot, the troll vanished in a fireball and was seen flying back several dozen yards.

The tanks came to life as the machine guns on them lit up and spat heavy .30 and .50 caliber rounds at the oncoming hostiles, cutting them down. The Orcs and Grumblins started off into a retreat back into the forest.

It was at this point that they saw more battles going on from where the Troll had come through the trees.

"Come on, there's probably some Marines in need of some support!" Wagner yelled. They went off through the gap in the trees and found several Orcs, Grumblins and even a Troll trying to overpower a few Marines. The Marines had their backs up against a large boulder and were using several knocked over trees as cover. There were a fair amount of them held up in that position, about 30 or so. The tanks fired their guns and the troll was thrown back into the trees as the two rounds detonated on him.

The Marines opened fire on the Ocrs and Grumblins as they tried to get closer to the Marines that had taken cover. Finally the Orcs and Grumblins that could took off into the forest. The Marines that had taken cover began to cheer with anticipation.

One of the Marines ran up to the group. This Marine had a silver bar on his helmet, the mark of a Lieutenant.

"You boys with Alpha?" The Lieutenant asked as he approached Wagner.

"That's right, Wagner, Company CO."

"I'm Lieutenant Metien, our Commanding Officer got hit during an attack by Lakadors."

"Well we were just responding to a distress call by Delta Company."

"Yeah, that was us, or rather most of us. We still can't find our 1st or 3rd Platoons. They've vanished."

"We just have our 2nd and 3rd Platoons. We're spread out all over this damn place."

"Well thanks for the support. Hey, we had a Marine from Alpha link up with us earlier…"

"Really?!" Allison said as she ran up.

"Yeah, I can't remember the name though but he linked up with us not to long ago."

"Where is this Marine?" Wagner asked.

"You're guess is as good as mine… He got knocked from our position and was picked up by Lakadors… They might have dragged him off somewhere but I don't know for sure." As the officer said this Allison went pale and looked at the ground. Wagner saw this and sighed.

"Well we need to find a place to rally and possibly find any other stray Marines. The Lakadors have been setting up POW camps everywhere and we're bound to run into some." Wagner said as he removed his helmet and scratched his head. He set the helmet upon his head once more and fastened it down.

"Well we'll move with you guys and flag for a pickup." Metien said as he started off towards the other Marines of Delta.

"Well let's get moving! We need to find a good place to rest until morning when they can air lift us to the Typhus." The other Marines groaned and sighed… this night was not over… not by a long shot.

Meanwhile…

0357 Hours

Somewhere in the Forest

Karson's head throbbed… so did his legs…

He gripped his head and felt himself being dragged along the path. He looked up and saw several Lakadors holding onto his legs as they dragged him along. The Lakadors had many injuries, suggesting they had their asses handed to them by the Marines.

As Karson held onto his head he felt something sharp digging into his back through the unprotected area of his armor.

As he felt around with his hand he found to his delight his M74C assault rifle. Why hadn't the Lakadors taken it away from him? Had they, in their hasty retreat, grabbed him with all his gear? If that was the case, why had they even taken him at all? Why didn't they just leave him there or just shot him on the spot? Nothing they were doing made any sense at all…

Not wanting to not grab at the opportunity, Karson grabbed the rifle behind him and swung it in front of him. Without even aiming he pressed down the trigger and let the bullets fly. The Lakadors screamed and fell over as the bullets hit them. The other Lakadors in the group took notice and readied their own rifles. Karson fired the rifle until it ran out of ammo and quickly leapt into the bushes nearby.

Globs of energy slapped against the trees and bushes nearby, and Karson did a barrel roll to get away quickly while keeping low. Finally he rolled into a ditch and heard Lakadors going into the woods after him. Karson quickly slapped a fresh clip into his rifle and started his crawl to salvation.

Globs of dark energy flew this way and that as Karson crawled through the ditch. Finally they started to give up the chase and Karson sat in the ditch. Once he felt that it was all clear, he slowly got up and scanned the area with the rifle.

He slowly moved in a crouch position until he met up with a river. He heard distant sounds of gunfire and figured that that ought to be his next course of direction. As he moved through the foliage he heard the sounds getting louder and louder. He finally found himself along a large mountain path that ran alongside a river and had a large cliff running parallel to the river. As he ran down the very wide path, he saw the source of the gunfire.

Not to far from where he was there was a temple. The temple had a river that ran to a waterfall that dropped off into the river. The thing was, that waterfall appeared to have been purposely made and on either side of the waterfall there were statues of dragons that sat guard over the temple. The temple had several windows which flashed with gunfire. Karson could tell that there were Marines held up inside that temple and just up ahead the path turned left and had large 'guard' rocks that ran along the banks of the path. Behind those rocks there were Lakadors taking cover and returning fire to the Marines in the temple.

With renewed vigor Karson dashed up and raised his rifle. He aligned the laser sight to the targeter on his rifle. He put those on the first Lakador and as he dashed behind a rock for shelter he pressed the trigger. The gun's barrel flashed white in the dark night and empty shell casings flew this way and that as the rifle expended the ammunition in the magazine.

The Lakadors that he had targeted screamed and gripped at their backs as the rifle rounds punctured their shiny silver armor and silenced their screams as more and more flew their way.

The Lakadors took notice of Karson and tried to fire at him but the Marines in the temple opened fire once more. One Marine operated a M2182 .30 Light Machine Gun in one of the windows. The LMG fired its ammo at the area the Lakadors were using for cover and blew it, along with them, apart.

As the last Lakadors were picked off by Marine snipers, Karson advanced and raised his rifle above his head to signal that he was a friendly. As he got to the edge of the river he saw that just down the path that was off to the left there was a bridge that went across the river and ran up the temple.

He dashed off towards it and ascended the temple. As he got to the entrance he saw two soldiers standing guard and they nodded and let him inside. As Karson went inside he saw what looked like an Aid Station. Several Marines were placed against a wall, clutching onto wounds and Corpsmen tried to help them as best they could.

He walked until he saw a familiar face.

"Lieutenant Buckman, sir!" Karson said as he saluted one of the Lieutenants from Alpha. The Officer returned the salute.

"Karson, I see you found your way over to our CP."

"Just about. Who's all here?"

"My entire Platoon from Alpha, a few from Delta and even a Platoon from Epsilon. The Epsilon Platoon is on recon to the East and we need a squad from Alpha to take a look to a small valley to the North. We want to move everybody there to get ready for tomorrow's pick up. That valley is perfect for an air lift and we need a squad to scope it out before we move in the heavy stuff."

"Can I go sir?"

"Sure, I got Sergeant Riley forming a squad to go, he's over there." Buckman pointed over to a Sergeant who was getting a group of people together. Karson smiled and dashed over, eager to get some more action in.

"Sergeant Riley?" Karson asked. The Sergeant turned around and smiled.

"Well if it isn't Karson… glad to see more of Alpha here. Is it just you?" The Sergeant said as he offered for a handshake.

"Yeah, I found my way over here by myself." Karson said as he took the invitation for the handshake.

"You seem to have done a damn good job of it too. If I were you're squad leader I'd put you in for a promotion. I take it you want into my recon squad?"

"Yes sir, when are we going?"

"Right now would be awesome, so get whatever gear you're bringing."

Karson looked all over himself and the Sergeant realized that he already had everything he needed with him at the time.

"Well, then let's going. Alright, 3rd Squad, let's get going!" With that a few Marines gathered up and they headed down a flight of stairs and out over to a doorway which two Marines opened up. They walked out of the door and found themselves looking out to a waterfall. There was a collapsed part of the path that lead down to the base of the water fall below which the Marines took. They found themselves at the foot of the waterfall in a river. Some of the Marines griped as the water flowed into their boots and soaked their feet.

The river flowed through a narrow ravine that went forward for a bit, turned right and then took a right. However, Karson wasn't occupied with the ravine as he was with what was atop one of the cliffs just ahead of them. While the rest of the cliffs making the ravine were tall, the one just ahead of them was smaller and looked as if there was something there.

"Let's go recon that cliff up ahead!" Sergeant Riley said, as if reading Karson's mind.

They dashed up to the cliff and looked up its length. It was about 20 meters up and two Marines tossed grappling hooks up and fastened them tight. The Marines started to climb the cliff and as Karson reached the top, he saw that the space was a small box canyon etched into the rocks. There was what looked like a cave to the high left up on a small cliff.

As the Marines formed up in the area, Karson felt a presence nearby. They heard movement and as the Marines moved their weapons around to scan for a hostile, something leapt from the trees and Karson felt something- or someone- grab him and put a knife against his neck. The new entity spoke in a rather high raspy tone. Probably from someone in their older years.

"So… it seems I have guests… and at such an early hour…" Karson felt the creature release him and he turned around to find another Cheetah, with a hooded cloak on and a staff in its paw. From the eyes the Cheetah was defiantly older in years compared to the others he had run into.

"Who the hell are you?!" The Sergeant asked as he eyed the Cheetah over and pointed his assault weapon at him.

"I am just a humble Hermit… and who might you be…?

"I'm Sergeant Riley… Alpha Company…"

"Hmmm… I'm not so much interested in who you are… but in this one…" The Hermit grabbed Karson's face and brought him close as he examined him.

"I've seen you before… but where I cannot say… bah…" The Hermit released Karson's face and Karson rubbed his jaw. The Hermit started to walk off towards the cave to the high cave to the left.

"Wait, where are we?" Riley asked before the Hermit climbed up to the cave.

"Are you blind? You are in the Valley of Avalar…" With that the Hermit climbed up towards the cave and left the squad in the small canyon below.

"Well that explains a lot…" One of the Marines said.

"Where's the valley that they wanted us to recon anyway?"

"It's just up ahead, this is a river that runs through the valley and drops off via waterfall. 3rd Recon said that there is a path that leads down through the waterfall to the valley beneath. That's where we're headed." Riley explained.

"Oh joy…" Another Marine gripped up.

"Let's get back down to the ravine and move along the river until we reach that waterfall!" As Riley said this, they went back to the hooks, but as they did a new creature leapt and out and engaged them.

Several skeletons with glowing green eyes leapt out and engaged the Marines, screeching and making the sounds a monkey would make. One swiped at a Marine and he quickly blew apart the skeleton with a burst from his rifle.

"Hit 'em hard!" Riley ordered and Karson found himself smacking one of these things with the butt of his weapon and firing off bursts from the M74C. He used the bayonet attachment and hacked away at them but it had no effect. He continued to pump them full of ammo though.

They screeched before returning into the darkness from once they came.

"Alight what the-" One of the soldiers started but Riley cut him off sensing the word that was to follow.

"Forget about them… we need to finish this recon." Riley said and with many gripes and complaints they grappled down the cliff and into the waters below. Karson cursed mentally as the water seeped through his clothing but passed it off as he waded through the water.

The walked until they reached the turn that lead them off to the left and saw that the river went on and dropped off in a water fall just up ahead.

Upon reaching the waterfall they looked off and saw a valley that ran off just ahead. True to the recon, the river from this waterfall ran through the valley and it was wide enough to fit UERNF Raven Fighters. It was perfect for an airlift. To the left there was an opening into the cliff which headed downwards. They went into the cave and walked though the cave until it came to the base of the waterfall and to a grassy valley that was illuminated by the moonlight.

The runoff from the waterfall ran off to a larger river that ran from right to left. However, to the right was where the main valley was and where the pick up zone was.

They climbed up a cliff to their right and walked up on the high ground as it overlooked the valley beneath.

One of the Marines gave a low whistle but was hit in the groin by another. They didn't know what was in this valley and had to keep as quite as they could as to not get detected. They started to keep low as they came though the valley more and as they got to the part overlooking the main valley, they saw no movement whatsoever in the valley below and as Riley moved his hands to issue some men to go and scope it out completely, he got hit in the side of the head by something green.

As the other Marines cocked their heads to find the source of this, more flew at them and they toppled over as they were hit by the same thing. Karson also took a hit and fell over to the ground, his vision becoming blurred once more. He blacked out soon after.

Meanwhile…

0634 Hours

Marine Convoy Alpha moving alongside Alpha River, Northbound

Spyro yawned as the first rays of light of morning cast themselves upon him. Wagner had ordered a few hours of shuteye for the Marines to rest until morning just a bit. They had awoken just a few minutes ago and Spyro wondered how the Marines dashed this way and that, having had no sleep. Spyro and Cynder both moved groggily as fatigue hit them hard.

"Just five more minutes…" Cynder said as she had her eyes shut, yet she stood fully upright. Spyro yawned once more and Wagner approached.

"Well we are about to get moving, geez, you guys look like crap…"

"We… don't go too long without sleep…" Cynder said as she rubbed his eyes.

"Ah… " Wagner said as he saw Spyro yawn again.

"Sir, the tanks are all prepped up! We're ready to move out and Delta's already heading down the path!" A Marine called out from ahead and Wagner nodded to Spyro and Cynder who yawned in response. They all headed off to the tanks which revved to life and headed down the path.

They walked with the tanks and they moved along in the morning air. The crisp morning air felt refreshing against Spyro's scales and a bit of dew hung in the air, making his face feel rejuvenated as he slowly started to wake up.

"So Spyro… you think Warfang still exists?" Cynder asked as they walked along the river.

"I don't know Cynder, but from the looks of things, it may be. We just have to find out." They walked off with the tanks but a comment by one of the Marines caught their attention.

"Wow, it looks as if the crust itself is splitting apart!" They looked off to where the Marine was pointing to and saw that the surface was indeed splitting, or rather, cracked.

They were on a high path which overlooked a small canyon and in that canyon the ground was cracked for what looked like a good mile. Molten rock came from the crack and the ground seemed to seep in. It was just one of the many scars left over from the near 'Great Cleansing'.

They passed by it and headed along the river before it started to run along a cliff on the parallel side. As they walked, Spyro noticed how the path resembled a broken road. The banks were cut off from the path by a barrier of some sort and the more they went, the more it resembled a road.

"Ok, this is just getting annoying… what's with the metal stuff?" Cynder asked as she walked down the path. Spyro looked up and saw what she was referring to. A column jutted out from the cliff and came over the walkway. Parts of the column came off of it and fell onto the pathway below. Some bricks even fell onto the tanks as they rolled on beneath the pathway.

The bricks were crumbling away to reveal the silver metal underneath that resembled that of the tower and the forest structure they had seen earlier.

"Son of a bitch!" One of the Marines swore as a brick hit him on the helmet and rolled of the tank and onto the road. Cynder chuckled as she saw this and Spyro smiled.

They continued on and just ahead of the column there was a temple sitting across the river. As the path went ahead, it went left. Right across from the turn, the temple sat across from the pathway. The temple sat inwards from the river and from the temple ran a river that dropped off into their own river via a manufactured waterfall. The waterfall was built of bricks and it looked as if it was constructed by moles or dragons. On either side of the water it, there sat a dragon statue. Spyro looked at it in awe as they neared. The water coming from the waterfall shimmered as the light from the sun hit it and the dome that sat atop the temple sparkled as well in the sunlight.

"Contact, friendlies in that temple!" One of the Marines from Delta called out. Sure enough they saw a Marine atop the temple swinging the rifle atop his head, the signal for a friendly.

--------------------------------------------------------

"It's damn good to see you David!" Wagner said as he walked up to Lieutenant Buckman in the CP.

"Hey John, its good to see you made it! I see you brought the rest of Alpha and Delta with you as well!"

"Yeah, things have been hell… the radios have been out and we've been spread all over this forest. There's supposed to be some pick ups this morning."

"I know, we sent a recon group into an adjacent valley last night, no word from them. We suspect the worst."

"Well we've just acquired some armor so whatever's in that valley isn't going to last long." Wagner said while pointing to the two tanks outside.

"Well that valley is perfect for an airlift, that's why we sent the recon group out, to see if we could move the wounded. However Sergeant Riley's squad didn't check back in last night."

"Well let's see if we can't get those tanks rolling down there, Alpha prepare to move out!"

"We'll hold position here and hold this temple and flag for more Marines to rally here." Lieutenant Metien said. Wagner nodded and the Marines of Alpha started to get ready to move out.

"What's going on?" Spyro asked the Marine Officer.

"There's a valley just right next to this one, its large enough for Marine drop ships to move in and pick us up. We need to secure it so our ships can move in." Wagner explained.

"Well we're with you guys." Cynder said and Wagner nodded. They headed off to the back door to the temple and the two Marines standing guard opened them up and the river beyond became apparent to them. The now 89 man Alpha Company moved with the two tanks that had come around the temple. They descended the waterfall and arrived in the ravine.

"Hey isn't this where the Hermit lives?" Spyro asked and Cynder gave a look of discomfort before nodding.

"Let's check out that cliff up ahead!" Wagner pointed to a cliff up ahead, right where the Hermit lived. Cynder frowned and Spyro set his paw on her side and looked at her reassuringly.

"Come on Cynder, we'll go, together." She smiled at his offer and together they headed off and took flight as the Marines used the two grapples already on the cliff.

"1st and 3rd platoons stay here, 2nd, we're going up top!" Wagner said as he started climbing the rope.

Spyro and Cynder landed atop the cliff and watched as the Marines climbed the cliff and gathered around up top.

"So… you've returned once more… didn't I tell you what would happen? The Dark Master has a firm grip on you Cynder… that I can tell… and Spyro… you're doomed to follow in her footsteps…" The Marines scanned the area with their weapons and Cynder looked at the ground in shame.

The Hermit emerged from the shadows with a smug look on his face. He pointed at Cynder.

"The black serpent plagues us all; you must end this tyrant before she gets out of control."

"Shut up!" Cynder said in pain. Spyro stepped in front of her defensively.

"She has done nothing wrong so stop accusing her!" Spyro said to the Hermit.

"Oh now we trust her? A wrong choice my friend… the Dark Master has made servants of you as well…"

"The Dark Master is gone, isn't he?" Spyro said back to him.

"The Dark Master is eternal… he cannot be silenced… we're all mere puppets in his grand scheme… we cannot run nor hide… and she is a sign to that!" Once more he pointed at Cynder and Spyro started to lead her away.

"Marines, move out, we're leaving." Wagner said, sensing the fight that was starting to erupt.

They left the Hermit's home and went down to the ravine once more. Cynder landed in the water and looked at the ground with deep sadness.

"Cynder, don't listen to him, you're not evil anymore. The Dark Master is gone and he can never harm you ever again." Spyro said as he raised her muzzle to where her gaze met his. She smiled at him again and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thanks…" She said before trotting off. Spyro rubbed his cheek and stood there for a bit before one of the female Marine's giggles brought him back to and he dashed to join Cynder as she walked up stream.

End of Chapter 6

Woot! Chapter 6! XD Sorry for any errors, typed this and 5 while on the road so laptops aren't the most reliable sometimes _


	7. Morning's Misfortunes

Chapter 7: Morning's Misfortunes

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

March 3, 2204

0722 Hours

Valley of Avalar

The tank fired its main gun, causing the grass around the vehicle to go flat from the force of the blast. The Marines fired their assault rifles and watched as the Orcs and Grumblins retreated. A few 'Wayvrns' also flew overhead, trying to attack the Marines. Spyro and Cynder made sure that didn't become an issue.

The tanks rolled along the opposite river bank from where they came and fired their guns. Several Marines moved with them and some even moved along another high cliff to the right of the tanks. Spyro and Cynder passed overhead and Spyro pelted the ground below with shards of ice and they shattered on the enemies approaching and any others were blown apart by the tanks as they moved through.

Soon they had moved down the river and were making their way onto the central part of the valley, a large stretch that had an island in the middle that was isolated by the rivers moving through.

The tanks moved onto the middle island via a fallen tree and the Marines followed suit. Spyro and Cynder landed on the island and they looked around. The valley hadn't changed a bit since their last visit.

Spyro wondered if the Cheetah village was even still there. They started off towards where the Cheetah Village had been upon their last visit and saw a few columns of smoke and a wooden fence surrounding an area in the northeastern corner.

"Over there, there's a village!" Spyro called out. Wagner dashed up nearby.

"We know the inhabitants and they will be happy to let you use this as your pick up zone." Spyro explained. Wagner nodded and motioned for the Marines to hold position.

"3rd, let's go check out that village! The rest of you, stay here!"

"Sir, can I come with you guys?" Allison asked, her being from 2nd Platoon. Wagner looked at her for a bit before realizing why she asked.

"Frankly I doubt Karson's there but go ahead and come with." Wagner said to her and she smiled and mouthed a thank you before the Marines started off towards the village.

Meanwhile…

0724 Hours

Valley of Avalar, unknown location

"So where's this spot you want us?" One of the Privates asked and the Cheetah with them huffed.

"We need someone to check out these mysterious caves but no-one has been willing to look. Inside… we want you to go look… we need to make sure we can trust you guys… that's why your comrades are still back at camp…" The Cheetah said calmly.

Karson sighed. His luck just kept getting better and better… They had gotten knocked out during their recon by these weird orbs of green matter. They awoke later in a village with more cheetahs who had them tied up. He was starting to really hate being a prisoner. Thankfully they managed to broker a deal.

If they went with this cheetah to help investigate and clear out this temple structure they had uncovered, they'd release the rest of the recon squad. They had taken them from the village and headed to the part of the valley to the far right. They had entered a cave behind a water fall and were walking through its depths. Soon after entering the cave, they came upon a small room that had a door at the back that was lined in a silver metallic alloy.

The door had several etches of dragons and other things upon the wall. They walked up to it and the Cheetah pressed upon the door but nothing happened.

Karson watched and remembered the golden door that he had opened only yesterday. He walked up, touched the door and the door glowed a golden hue. A fire emblem lit up on the door and it slid open. Dumbfounded, the recon group and Cheetah walked inside.

The initial hallway was made of silver metals with rock statues and elegant structures. As they walked small torches lit up into an orange fire and the narrow passageway was illuminated by the lights.

"Wow, look at that…" One of the Marines commented. They moved down the pathway a bit more before they came to an opened up room. The Marines scanned the walls with their rifles and the Cheetah accompanying them looked around in awe.

Suddenly they heard a few sounds and the Marines leveled their rifles out, searching for the source of the sound. Karson slowly pulled back on the loading mechanism to the M74C and heard the soft *click* as the rifle loaded a round.

They looked around a bit and heard claws hitting metal. Nothing appeared though and they slowly went on a bit farther. They reached the end of the opened up room and proceeded down the next hallway and more orange lights lit up the pathways. They finally came to a room with a stone statue of a dragon that went up about 30 feet. Standing at the foot of the statue was the one creature that memorized them.

Sitting at the foot of the statue was a tall purple dragon… about 10 feet tall and had two orange wings that stretched out. As they walked closer the dragon took notice, flared his nostrils, and left the chamber through a door on the opposite end.

"A purple dragon?" The Cheetah asked.

"Ah… are they special or something?" One of the Marines asked, referring the fact that he had already seen many statues of dragons and wasn't surprised to see one at all.

"They are the rarest of all dragons… they are born only once ever 10 generations…"

"Wait, I have a question… I've seen a purple dragon before… in a vision… and this voice keeps asking me to find him or something… 'prevent the repetition of history' or something like that…" Karson said as he faced the Cheetah. The other Marines with them looked at him like he was crazy. So did the cheetah.

"You've seen… a purple dragon… in a vision?" The Cheetah asked. Karson nodded.

"Why, you know one?" A Marine asked.

"The only purple dragons we know of are Malefor and Spyro…" The Cheetah responded.

"Well let's go find that Malefor one then." A Marine suggested.

"He's dead."

"Oh…"

"What about Spyro?" Karson asked the cheetah.

"He's dead too."

"Well shit, aren't there any live ones?!" Another Marine commented.

"Other then the one we just saw, no… there aren't any live ones…" The Marines looked around again and Karson looked at the statue.

"What did Spyro look like?" Karson asked as he looked the statue over.

"He was small, purple, had a golden chest with chest plates that ran down his stomach and he also had orange wings and he had to horns which came out of the back of his head. His tail piece was a triangle like piece that was also golden in color." As the Cheetah mentioned this, Karson remembered hard to his memories. As he listened in he realized something.

"That's… the same way the purple dragon in my vision looked…"

"That's because he is Spyro." A new voice- that of a female- sounded through the room and they looked around and a few Marines pointed their rifles out, searching for a target.

"Do no be alarmed… I don't mean any harm…" The same voice said once more. Karson remembered that voice… it was from his dreams.

"Who are you?" Karson asked and the voice took a second to answer.

"My name… is Singe…" The voice responded back.

"Why are you talking to me in my dreams?"

"To give you a message… to find Spyro… and to stop him from repeating history…"

"What history? What are you talking about?!" The voice didn't respond. Instead, a new voice broke through the silence… that of a male's.

"The history… is down these halls…" The purple dragon they had seen before walked up from behind the statue and approached.

"Just keeps getting better and better…" One of the other Marines commented.

"Young Cheetah… go to your village and let the other soldiers go. The rest of you, follow me. We have some… business to attend to." The purple dragon motioned for them to follow and the Marines reluctantly started to follow. The Cheetah sighed and started back off out the way he came.

Meanwhile…

0737 Hours

Cheetah Village in the Valley of Avalar

"By the ancestors… you're alive!" A dragon with a cape, bow and arrow ran up to the purple dragon as he walked up the foot path. Spyro smiled.

"Hunter! It's good to see you to!" Cynder said with a bit of happiness.

"Where have you two been?"

"Places…" Spyro said in return. The Marines slowly followed up the path.

"So… these humans are with you?" Another cheetah walked up, a sword in hand.

"Yes, they are our friends looking for a way home." Spyro said to him. The Cheetah motioned to another who released the locks on two more Marines sitting next to a pole.

"Bout time…" One of them commented.

"Pvt. Jacobs, Cpl. Marsons!" Wagner said. The two Marines recognized him and smiled, for they were from Alpha Company.

"Lieutenant sir, its good to see you!" Marsons said as he walked up and rubbed his wrist.

The Marines started to walk around the area when the Cheetah with the bow and arrow turned to Spyro.

"So, what's their story?"

"We're not entirely sure." Spyro said back and Wagner looked at Hunter.

"Who is the one in charge of this village?"

"That would be me. I am Chief Prowles."

"Chief, I request to use this valley as a pick up zone for my men. We have several injured that need to be evacuated and this valley is perfect for those reasons."

"By what do you mean, 'airlifted'? As in by an air vehicle?"

"Uh… yeah."

"Seeing how you are an ally of Spyro, you're an ally of mine. I don't have a problem in assisting." Wagner smiled.

"I appreciate it."

"Chief, more Grumblins in the valley! They've engaged the other warriors in the valley!" One of the cheetahs yelled from a guard tower. Wagner looked at Spyro and he did the same.

"Come on Alpha, let's go help our other Marines take out these guys!" Wagner ordered and the Marines scampered from their positions and ran down the path towards the raging battle occurring in the valley.

The two tanks had rolled nearer to the village and they fired their main guns at an oncoming wave of Grumblins, Orcs, and even a large troll that lumbered their way.

The Marines of Alpha were using trees as concealment or as cover from the arrows that flew their way. They fired their rifles and the enemy formation was blown apart as the Marines chunked grenades into their midst.

Spyro and Cynder were the first to spring into action, taking flight and dashing at the oncoming enemies. They flew over the assault, Spyro raining fire and Cynder letting lose a wave of shadow breathe that engulfed several Grumblins below. A tank round nailed the troll and sent it into the river nearby while Spyro tackled an archer Orc to the ground and clawed at him.

Cynder grabbed one Orc, flew into the air with it, and clawed at its stomach before tossing him into a midst of other soldiers and finished the job with an orb of poison that obscured the enemy ground. She was about to engage another enemy when a Marine filled it with gunfire and it toppled over, dead. She smiled and continued her work.

Spyro was just about to get finished when an Orc smashed him into the ground and was about to slash a sword when it fell over for some reason. Spyro looked up and saw Cynder, recovering from using her wind to thrust a sharp stick into the back of the Orc's head.

"Thanks…" He said and she smiled triumphantly at him.

The Grumblins finally began to retreat into the ground and the skirmish was over. Once more they were victorious.

"These guys aren't so tough…" One of the Marines said as he walked up and kicked a fallen Orc. Spyro smiled at the sight and looked at Cynder who was cleaning her wing blade. Suddenly something caught his eye and he looked up to see an orb of purple sail from an adjacent part of the valley and smash into the ground nearby. The ground erupted into a sea of purple and anything nearby vanished in a haze as it exploded.

"Lakador artillery! Take Cover!" A Sergeant yelled.

"They have this whole area zeroed! Get your ass out!" Wagner yelled.

"We have to help the village! They'll get flattened by this assault!" Cynder yelled and Spyro turned to Wagner.

"3rd Platoon, stay with the tanks and get to shelter! 1st, 2nd, we're going for those guns!" Wagner yelled and Spyro and Cynder nodded thankfully to him.

"Where's it coming from sir?!" A Corporal asked.

"It's coming from the south, from behind that waterfall somewhere!" Wagner said as he pointed to a waterfall just ahead of them and on the far side of the central part of the valley.

"Let's go then!" Cynder said and Wagner nodded. The Marines moved as fast as they could, dodging Lakador artillery as it detonated in the valley and blew apart trees, rocks, and anything moving.

They moved to the river that separated their island from the part of the valley with the waterfall. The river was so deep and the cliff so steep that they had to head back the way they came and made use of a small rocky bridge to move the Marines across the river and they moved along the side of the valley and to the base of the waterfall. This waterfall, unlike the others, was minor and the water seeped down the side of a cliff with what looked like a small cave network that ran through.

"Look, some vines! We'll climb up!" Allison said as she pointed to a series of grass vines that stuff from the side of the cliff. They wasted no time and quickly scaled the cliff and entered the caves. The caves didn't go in much but as Spyro walked by a chest that had once contained armor, saw a crack in the walls and after an Earth blast, the crack gave way to a cave made of metal behind. It was the same metals used in the cave and temples they had come across before.

"Come on, this way!" Spyro said and they made no time as they dashed almost single file down the halls of this new structure and into the blackness. As they went through they heard the sounds of Lakador artillery firing. As they pass through more and the tunnel became darker, a few purple and blue lights lit up and illuminated their path.

Soon natural light filtered into the passage and they came to a doorway which lead to an observatory type room with windows revealing a second small valley with two Lakador artillery pieces firing at the Valley of Avalar just beyond. A door to the right lead to a foot path that went to a ridge line that provided a perfect flanking position over the guns and small group of Lakadors that were stationed there.

"Alright, 1st, we'll stay up here and provide suppressing fire. 2nd, move up along that foot path and flank them." Wagner said. They nodded and 2nd moved to the door but it wouldn't budge. Spyro was about to go and smack the door when Allison slammed it and the door glowed a light blue and an ice emblem illuminated and opened.

A bit dumbfounded Allison stepped out, along with the Marines of 2nd platoon. Spyro and Cynder were the last to exit and saw that the silver interior was masked by a brick and mortar built structure that hid the silver metals.

They moved along the foot path and finally came to the ridge which was obscured from the Lakadors via trees and several boulders. The Marines set up positions and Spyro and Cynder got ready.

The two Lakador artillery pieces were about the size of two Jaguar tanks sitting atop each other. They were positioned on the ground on a large tri-pod and the guns pointed upwards and sank down as they fired once more.

Their platoon leader heard a click on his radio, and the Lieutenant motioned for Allison and a few other Marines to come closer.

"Wagner wants a squad to sneak up and plant explosives on the guns. Once we blow 'em, we'll hit 'em with everything we got." Allison nodded and one of the Marines grabbed some C4 explosives from his pack and got ready. Spyro and Cynder got ready to go as they heard their plan.

"Ready? Go!" the Lieutenant whispered and Allison, along with a few other Marines, went down the ridge as quietly as they could and snuck up to one of the guns. Spyro and Cynder knelt in one of the bushes and watched them run in a crouched position to the gun's side.

Allison made sure no Lakadors were looking and patted the Marine with the C4 on the back. He took the signal and crawled under the gun and pressed a charge to the base of the gun. He slowly crawled back out and nodded. The Corporal in the ground pointed to the second gun and pointed to Allison and another Marine who both slowly got to their stomachs and started to crawl to the second gun.

Spyro and Cynder watched as they slowly crawled through the grass and got underneath the gun. Allison slipped under the gun and, like the first, pressed a charge of C4 onto the underside and slowly got back out. They slowly started to come back when a Lakador from above on a cliff spotted them and fired their weapons.

The scene erupted into a scene of pure chaos. Energy bolts flew at the pair of Marines and Spyro and Cynder were forced to abandon their position in the bushes and dashed to the scene.

The Marine that had accompanied Allison took a hit and stopped moving as his backside started to smoke from the hit. Allison froze and stayed still in the grass. The Marines on the ridgeline held their fire but the ones in the temple opened fire and drew their attention away from Allison.

Tracers flew from the windows of the temple and Lakadors began to fall as the gunfire caught them out in the open. Allison still lied in her frozen position and Spyro dashed over to her and with his muzzle grabbed the clothing on her arm. Cynder did the same with the other and together then lifted her up and she started to run away from her position. Spyro and Cynder covered her retreat with concentrated bursts of breath attacks which shrouded the area in a mist of energy.

As they regrouped with the squad next to the first gun they pulled back to the ridge and one of the Marines grabbed a small box with a silver button on it. He pressed down and both C4 charges went off.

The bases of both guns were shrouded in smoke and fire as the charges went off. The legs holding the gun up were blow off their positions and the guns plummeted to the ground and fell apart as the shock from the blast disrupted the gun's casing.

At this point the Marines atop the ridge opened fire, filling the valley with their own gunfire. Spyro and Cynder smiled, took to the sky, and flew to the rear guard of the Lakadors which wasn't getting hit my Marine gunfire.

Spyro grabbed the first Lakador he saw and tossed him to the ground before slamming back down and smashing the creature's rib cage.

He spotted a Lakador charging him with a sword and slashed his tail, knocking the Lakador off of his feet and with a blast of fire shrouded the creature in a haze of super heated fumes.

More retaliated and one fired its dark energy rifle at Spyro. A bolt connected with his right arm and he yelled out as it singed his scales and burned down to his skin and beyond. His scales were burnt a black shade and a small scorch mark the size of a golf ball was visible on his scales. It even looked as if the scales in that particular region were burned right off and the skin was seen smoldering beneath.

Spyro groaned and gripped his wound as it smoldered. The Lakador prepared to fire again when Cynder dashed out and smashed the creature into the ground. She blew out a blast of fear and the Lakadors grabbed onto their heads and screamed as they fell to the ground. They became easy targets for the Marines who opened up on the vulnerable group.

"Spyro! You alright?" Cynder asked as she ran up to Spyro who gripped his wound.

"Yeah… I'm fine…" He clutched onto it and gritted his teeth a bit as the hit continued to burn through his skin.

"Let's get you out of here." Cynder said as she started to lead him back to where the Marines were.

Before they could though, Lakador soldiers cut them off and they were forced to seek shelter behind a boulder as Lakador fire flew all around them. They were behind the guns which meant the Marines couldn't cover or help support them.

"This is not what I had in mind!" Cynder said as she kept her head low as the dark energy impacted the rocks near her.

Suddenly the air was filled with screams and they peered over the rock to see a huge white dragon plow through the Lakadors and engulf them in fire and smoke. They tried to retaliate but were put down accordingly. The large dragon went up to a Lakador trying to shoot him and grabbed him by the neck, snapped it, and let the lifeless body topple to the ground.

"Who's that?" Spyro asked and Cynder dashed from cover to greet the new dragon.

The new dragon looked odd… he had a head assortment of different shapes and varieties opposed to Spyro and Cynder's simple horns or fins. The dragon was colored white and gold and was about as tall as Ignitus. However his body anatomy was different then from the dragons Spyro has seen thus far.

"Who are you?" Cynder asked. Before the dragon answered, he spotted the Marines moving over and dashed away from them as quickly as he had appeared.

"That was… weird…" Cynder said and Spyro merely gritted his teeth in response to the pain jolting from the burn wound. Cynder ran over and helped him over to the Marine squad near the wreckage of the first gun.

"Damn Spyro, that looks nasty!" Allison said as she saw his wound.

"It's nothing… let's go." She looked at him funny and then sighed before the squad headed back up to the Marine platoon stationed up on the ridge above.

Even as the Platoon began to move back to the other back in the temple, Lakadors were still retaliating against the Marines. A few grenades detonated in their midst and shrouded what survivors were left in a hazy cloud of debris and fire.

"Good work Alpha! Let's regroup with 3rd in the valley!" Wagner ordered as they got inside and they started down the halls once more. They came to the waterfall cave and saw through the water falling another battle erupting. The only thing was, the Marine platoon was pinned at the far end of the valley atop the island closest to the village. This provided high ground, but with the hostiles in the valley, did them little good. In the valley sat a large number of Lakadors, easily 100 in numbers, moving onto the center island and moving north to the Marine platoon.

Lakador tanks rolled on wheels and on strange hovering technology onto the middle island and fired their guns at the Marine platoon. One tank had an enormous gun on its roof and it glowed a bright blue before a large beam the size of a car shot out of it and connected with a Marine position to the north. Anybody taking cover there would have been vaporized.

A second tank with a smaller gun fired a purple orb which connected with a Marine position and it detonated, blowing rocks and soldiers apart.

The Marine tanks were nowhere in sight.

"We have to help them!" Cynder said as she saw the Marines get massacred.

"Alpha, let's get down there!"

"Sir?! What the hell can we do?! There's a bunch of enemy tanks down there! What can we do?!" One of the soldiers asked as he looked at the tanks. Wagner didn't respond for a bit. They had no anti-tank weapons. Their tanks wouldn't stand a chance even if they were here. The heaviest gun they had were their assault rifles and some C4… wait… C4!

"Sergeant, how much C4 do we have left?"

"About 6 packs, you're not thinking of…"

"We need to get those onto those tanks and detonate them! It's the only way!" The Marines looked at Wagner like he was crazy.

"I'll go sir." Allison volunteered. Two other Marines with her stepped forward as well.

"We'll go to." Spyro and Cynder also stepped forward.

"Then let's go. The rest of you, take cover here and try to draw their attention as we move along the edge of the valley and sneak up on the armor."

Wagner, Allison, Spyro, Cynder and the two Marines dashed over through the caves and down the vines to the ground below. They stated moving slowly across and through the grass as the Lakadors opened fire at the Marine platoon at the northern end of the valley.

The Marines in the waterfall cave also started their assault, firing their rifles and throwing grenades at the Lakadors, attempting to distract the Lakadors from the small squad that was moving through the grass to the side.

The small squad reached a fallen tree from the artillery strikes and used it to get across the river beneath. They leapt from the log as it collapsed into the river and they got down onto their stomachs as the Lakadors advanced. The first tank was mounted just feet ahead. The tank lurched as a beam of blue white energy flew from it and towards the Marines on the other side of the valley.

Allison grabbed one of the C4 charges and slowly approached the tank from her lying down position. She planted the charge on the tank and quickly retreated. She pulled out a small device, flipped a switch and the charge detonated in a fury of fire and smoke.

"One down, 5 to go!" Wagner whispered.

'Wagner, what do you want us to do?" Spyro asked. With all the commotion Wagner had little to think of how they could play a role other then aerial flight… wait… aerial… if they could fly then they could drop things from above… they could drop the C4 charges onto the tanks… it would shorten the time needed if they planted by hand and by air!

"Spyro, you can do something! You and Cynder, take these charges and fly over the tanks! Drop them while above them and we'll detonate them! It'll shorten the time needed to take these guys out!" Wagner said and Spyro nodded as he and Cynder grabbed onto C4 charges and spread their wings to take flight.

They flew up and to the top of a large rock that rose 5 meters from the ground that was just near the destroyed tank. The Lakadors had moved forward so they didn't even realize they were short one tank or that two dragons had taken flight directly behind them.

They sat atop the rock and looked at each other before smiling. It looked odd to them… they were carrying high explosive charges by a strap that they held in their teeth. It amused them almost.

They spotted the Marine squad moving through the grass below to another tank nearby. They looked off and saw several of the Lakador tanks moving towards the village, as were many Lakadors.

"The tanks are heading to the Village!" Cynder said to Spyro.

"C'mon, we have to stop them!" Spyro said as he took flight with Cynder behind. They carried the explosives aloft and headed to the tanks as they moved closer to the village and fired their guns at it.

A few Marines were visible near the village, trying to fend off any Lakadors that strayed that way and tried to breach it. Spyro and Cynder flew over the battle erupting below and flew directly over the tanks. They flew down and put the charges on them and just as quickly flew away.

As they sailed upwards, energy bolts flew at them, trying to down them, but they flew too fast for the globs of energy to knock them out of the air.

As they flew away the tanks exploded as the squad behind them pressed the detonation buttons and Spyro and Cynder happily coated the ground in breath attacks as they went by. However, going down to actually engage the Lakadors in hand to hand combat was suicide. Instead of doing so they flew back to where the Marine squad was and perched themselves atop the same rocky plateau they had earlier.

They watched as the Marines held their footing at the end of the valley but were being outgunned by the Lakadors. The Lakadors still had 3 tanks firing at the Marines and even with the support from behind at the waterfall their luck wasn't fairing too well. The Marines at the waterfall didn't have a good enough line of sight to repel the Lakadors moving in on the Marines of 3rd Platoon.

"Spyro… we have to do something, before they wipe out those troops!" Cynder said as she watched.

"What can we do? We would have to get rid of those tanks, but we need more of those explosives!"

"Let's get some more from Wagner!"

"We'll give away their position; they're vulnerable out there…" Spyro said, eyeing the Marines moving through the grass on their stomachs to the next tank.

Wagner was having his fair share of problems… they were sneaking closer and closer to the tanks, and through enemy soldiers to get there. The other two Marines held onto their other 3 charges and they moved via prone position to the last 3 tanks. They couldn't count on Spyro and Cynder, for if they flew down to retrieve more packs of C4, their position would be given away.

The next tank was a few yards ahead and they only had to go a bit farther before they got there. Though what was on Wagner's mind was where the hell were the two tanks they had with them?! At least they could help!

As Wagner motioned for a Marine to hand them another charge to place on the tank, the Marine yelled in pain as a Lakador sniper caught sight of him and hit him in the back. The Marine lie still and dropped the charge. The other rolled to his side to avoid a shot and a few Lakadors caught sight of them and opened fire.

"Ah shit! We've been spotted! Return fire!" Wagner yelled and they tried to fight back as best they could. The other Marine with them took a hit and fell over as several dark energy shots smashed into his chest and shattered his armor from the immense heat.

"Oh no, they need help!" Cynder said as she saw Wagner and the Marines below get hit by Lakador fire.

"Yeah, let's go!" As Spyro said this, the plateau they were on exploded as a tank caught sight of them. Spyro and Cynder tumbled as the shock of the blast coupled with the sudden lack of ground supporting their feet nailed them. They landed in the falling rocks and struggled to get up, the tank nearing them.

However, before the tank fired another shot, a streak flew from the sky, connected with the tank, and sent it up in a fury of fire and smoke as the tank detonated.

More streaks flew through the sky and blew apart Lakador assault formations and the final two tanks went up and on the other side of the valley, the two Marine tanks revealed themselves and fired their main guns. However, the streaks that flew from the sky came from an aircraft that was painted green and hovered above the scene, two barrels on it flashing as it fired.

The aircraft fired into the ground and sent the Lakadors either tumbling to the ground or fleeing for their lives. Soon the last Lakadors packed up and tried to haul ass out of there as quickly as possible.

Spyro and Cynder flew down to Wagner and Allison who were standing up from their grass shelters. They looked happier then ever. Allison even tossed her hands up in joy at the sight of the aircraft. Wagner pressed against his ear as his radio went off.

_"Alpha that you? This is Echo."_

"Copy that Echo, this is Lieutenant Wagner of Alpha Company! It's damn good to hear from you!"

_"Likewise. We've been combing the area for Marine survivors and so far we've rounded up Epsilon, Kilo and Fox Companies. No sign of Charlie, Delta or Bravo."_

"Delta and a platoon from Epsilon are hold up in a structure not to far from here. We came here to secure a landing zone for Nighthawks to extract them."

_"Copy that, I'll notify Colonel Dyke of your location. He'll be in shortly to extract your men. We'll keep in the vicinity and try to keep anything heavy from heading your way. Good luck Alpha, Echo out."_ The aircraft flew a bit higher and speed off to another part of the valley and Wagner breathed a sigh of relief.

"So… when are your troops getting taken to safety?" Spyro asked as he walked up.

"That ship gave our location to friendly forces and they'll be here shortly to extract us out of here. Thanks for all the help you've given us. If there's anything we can do, anything at all, please ask." Wagner said as he shouldered his rifle.

"Well we're happy to help." Spyro said with a smile.

"Well now that you mention it I could use a-" Cynder began.

"Cynder…"

"What? A girl has her needs you know."

Wagner smiled and looked at a pair of Marines.

"You two, go back to Delta and tell them its all clear. The Nighthawks will be inbound shortly." The two Marines ran off to where the temple was and Wagner turned to face the village. A few Marines were at the Village and Wagner started off towards them. They climbed to the island nearest to the Village and saw the two tanks sitting behind a rock. They had been waiting for the enemy tanks to pass by and they'd hit them in a sneak attack.

When they reached the village, Lieutenant Buckman shouldered his rifle at the sight of Wagner running up the hill.

"Well John, we've outdone ourselves now have we."

"Yeah, nice work David."

"Thank you, for protecting our village." Prowles said, walking up. Hunter also followed, bow and arrow in hand.

"Well we do what we can…" Cynder said with a smile. Allison walked up and removed her helmet, revealing her long, brown hair that glowed from where it was.

"Wow… that's so pretty…" Cynder commented to Allison who smiled a bit then frowned and looked away.

Cynder heard a sniffle come from the Marine.

"What's wrong?" Allison didn't reply.

"Allison, what's bothering you?" Spyro asked, seeing this.

"I'm… fine… nothing's wrong…" She started to walk off and they looked at Wagner who was frowning.

"She… lost a friend in an operation a day ago."

"Oh… was she a good friend?"

"It was a he, and I think they may be more then just friends…"

"Oh… that sucks…"

"Yeah, she's been upset about it…"

"What was his name?" Spyro asked, thinking a bit.

"Joshua Karson."

"Hey, wasn't he the Marine that went on recon with us?" Marsons said as he heard the name.

"Yeah, sounds like him…"

"Wait, Karson was on recon with you?"

"Yeah, he came to the CP with us and we went on recon."

"Where is he now?"

"The Cheetahs sent him somewhere… we don't know where…"

"We sent them to a cave down the river… they should be getting back soon."

As he said this, two Nighthawks swooped in from above and landed in the valley. Wagner and the others ran over to them. A few Marines stepped out and one Marine wore a longer uniform and looked a bit older in years.

"Colonel Dyke, sir!" Wagner said to him.

"Wagner, it's good to hear from Alpha… we've been combing the area all morning for Marine forces."

"Well Delta's on the way and we've got all of Alpha here."

"Roger that… we're currently airlifting soldiers out of here now… when Delta gets here we'll get them out of here."

"So… you guys are leaving now?" Spyro asked Wagner.

"Looks that way…"

"Actually no." Dyke said.

"Huh?" Wagner asked.

"For some reason the _Typhus_'s worm-hole generator short circuited. We cannot jump. Plus the _Typhus_ does not have enough room to accommodate the entire 72nd Division and still maintain an operational status. We have to find a large area to base troops and armor at until we deal with the Lakadors here and find a way home."

"Well we haven't seen an area large enough for that…" Wagner said, drooping his head low.

"Wait, there's a city near here, Warfang." Hunter said as he heard this.

"Yeah, it's big enough for your troops and tanks!" Cynder said, remembering the city.

"Wagner, take a squad a check this out. Once you give us the signal we'll reroute forces to your location. Get it done!" Dyke said while standing onto the Nighthawk.

"Alright, 1st squad, on me, we're going to Warfang!" Wagner said. A few Marines crowded around, including Allison.

"Where do we go?"

"Follow me, I'll take you there." Hunter said while leaping off towards the path. They followed the Cheetah and walked past the entrance to the valley they had come in and went farther down the valley to a door. Hunter walked up to the door, opened it, and invited them inside.

"Let us march quickly to the city." Hunter said as they slowly entered the cave.

"Ah damn… I hate dark places…"

"Just shut up and walk."

End of Chapter 7

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Spyro and Cynder Sierra Entertainment

Everybody else me


	8. The Defense of Warfang

Part 3: Through the Fire and Flames

Chapter 8: The Defense of Warfang

March 3, 2204

1245 Hours

Marine Recon Alpha 2, Inbound to Warfang

"Damn that's bright!" One of the Marines exclaimed as he shielded his eyes from the sunlight that came through the opening to the tunnel. The Marines looked around as they exited as the Dragon City came into view. Large sky scrapers and structures dotted the surrounding landscapes.

"This place is so beautiful…" A female Marine commented.

All around them were moles, dragons, and a few other creatures that eyed the human expeditionary force with caution. Dragons held their young close and moles shielded their children.

A few Dragons and Moles in armor forced their way to the front and pointed swords and weapons at the Marines as they moved in. The Marines halted their advance and a green Dragon came from the crowd and looked over the Marine group.

"What business do you have, coming into our city with your weapons of war?" The large dragon asked the group.

"Don't worry Terrador, they're with us!" At once every eye looked to see a purple and black dragon emerge from the back of the armored convoy and land in front of the Marines.

"S-spyro? Is that you?! Where've you been?!" Terrador exclaimed as he saw the purple dragon. Spyro smiled at the Dragon Elder.

"We've been trying to find out way back home."

"It's great to see that you made it! Where's Ignitus?"

"He… didn't make it…" Cynder said and Spyro looked at the ground sadly. Terrador's face contorted into that of sadness and a tear sparkled as it formed at his eye before he briskly shook it away and looked at Spyro once more.

"Well… at least you have returned… and who are these creatures?"

"I'm Lieutenant Jonathan Wagner, Company Commander of the United Expeditionary Force. We wish to use your city to air lift our soldiers and give them a place to stay." Wagner said as he walked up.

"We would be glad to provide a place to stay for your troops… but how did you come about coming to these lands? I do not remember your species before…"

"We're not from here. We came here through chance and we're trying to find out way home, but so far we cannot."

"Well we-"

"Terrador, the armies are making a turn! They've come for the city again! They've brought reinforcements!" A mole in armor yelled from a guard tower that ran along a wall nearby.

"No… I thought we had more time…" Terrador muttered.

"What's going on?" Spyro asked.

"The forces of the Dark Master have not let up… even with his demise they continue to march upon Warfang… we stopped an attack yesterday… but they've returned…"

"Alright Marines, let's move out and give these bastards a run for their money!" Wagner clicked on his mike.

"Colonel Dyke this is Lieutenant Wagner, we've made contact with the city and they've granted us clearance to use it to house our troops! However, the city is under attack and we need reinforcements ASAP!"

"_Copy Lieutenant, we're moving in to support, ETA, 15 minutes."_

"Where to?" Wagner asked Spyro.

"The Ramparts, that's the best place to defend from!" Cynder said.

"Everyone, form a defense! Let's go!" Terrador yelled and the dragons leapt into the air and the moles and other warriors scattered to the ramparts.

"Marines, let's go!" Wagner yelled and he motioned for Spyro and Cynder to lead the way. They dashed off and Wagner and the other Marines followed. The wall was starting to become visible behind the buildings and other tall structures in the area.

However, before they got there, several Grublins borrowed through the ground below and appeared right in front of the advancing squad.

"Contacts!" One of the Marines yelled before they fired their rifles at the Grublins. They danced as the bullets peppered them and sent them down. However, Orcs and other heavily armed and Orcs in heavy armor emerged from the ground wielding massive swords. They roared a howl of defiance and the Marines shielded their faces as the sound hurt their ears a bit.

Spyro ignored it, dashed forward, locked his jaw onto an Orc's let, and used it to form a circular twirl spin which sent it knocking into several others that approached. Cynder flew overhead and kicked an Orc off his feet and they snarled at the dragons as they dashed overhead.

"C'mon, let's get in there!" Wagner yelled and moved his arm for them to follow. The Marines charged and fired their assault rifles at the Orcs that struggled to get up. Two fell from multiple gunshots to the head and another rolled and brought his spear to bear. It connected with one of the Marines and it penetrated his left arm. The Marine yelled out in pain as the metal spear sliced through his flesh. The Orc growled as the Marine gritted his teeth in pain.

Spyro heard the Marine's cry of anguish and cocked his head to see the Marine impaled on the spear and dashed over to help.

"Take this you son of a bitch!" The Marine yelled at the top of his lungs and used the bayonet attachment to his rifle to insert the sharp knife into the creature's lower jaw in one swift motion. The creature staggered back and growled in pain as it released the Marine and the spear came out of his arm.

The Marine yelled in pain as he was released but managed to return his attention to the task at hand and fired a two round burst into the creature's head, finishing the job.

"I win…" The Marine said as he spat on the fallen Orc and clutched his shoulder. Spyro was making eye contact with the Marine who merely nodded. He slowly turned his head to see Cynder watching the event and had a look of fright in her eyes. However she dismissed it and returned to the battle.

"Damn these things!" Another Marine yelled out as she smacked it with the butt of her weapon and sent it into the ground. Finally the skirmish came to an end and they recovered, staggering from the fallen enemy soldiers.

"C'mon, the wall's just this way!" Cynder said and lead them down the street some more. As they ran, skirmishes with Grublins, Orcs and the Moles, Dragons, and Cheetahs were visible throughout the city. It was a stalemate.

"If they're just borrowing under the wall, then what's the use of going to it?!" One of the Marines asked.

"The main army is advancing, these are just scouts." Hunter said as he ran alongside them.

"Some scouts…" The Marine said as he clutched his wound that he had gotten from an Orc with an arrow.

"Linburg, you alright?" A Corporal asked the Marine who had gotten into the sticky situation.

"I'll live…" He said as he grunted.

Wagner grunted, shrugging off a hit he had taken with a blunt object during the fight. He looked at Allison who reloaded her rifle and he sighed as he turned to his six. He watched over the horizon and waited for the much needed reinforcements to arrive. He cursed as his sight saw nothing but darkening skies. He looked back to his squad, fighting vigilantly against the Orc onslaught. He winced at the pain in his arm and shrugged it off. At his left was one of his squad mates, firing the SSW Light Machine Gun at a line of Orcs. They roared out and fell under the barrage of hot lead. He grinned to himself and watched the smoke drift off the barrel, swirling around the machine gun. He motioned over to the city wall and spoke.

"I think they need our help in there!" He barked lugging his assault rifle in the direction of the fighting. The other marines nodded and looked to Cynder. She nodded and turned around and spread her wings.

The marines followed close behind her, stumbling over small stones and other obstructions, trying to keep up with her speed. All throughout the air large flaming boulders flew through the sky and smashed into the buildings, causing them to collapse.

"Their scouts are fleeing, keep it up!" A dragon said as he flew above and tossed a Grublin into a wall. Sure enough, the enemy forces were being outdone by the Dragons and Moles. They fell as swords clashed and their numbers were outweighed.

However, enemy artillery flew overhead and smashed into buildings, causing them to fall.

"We've got to take out their artillery!" Wagner yelled over the chaos.

"It's their catapults, they're outside the city!" Cynder said, turning her head to him.

"We have to get to the ramparts!" Spyro said, surging forward.

The marine bringing up the rear slowed his run and listened to the distant sounds of a chopper. He stopped and turned around and tried to focus on the sound. His sprits lifted as his vision was met with the glorious sights of three drop ships, two Sparrowhawk Helicopters and a Nighthawk. The two Sparrowhawks each had a Jaguar tank strapped to their underbelly.

"Heads up, the reinforcements here!" The Marine said with joy as the ships drew nearer.

The two Sparrowhawks flew overhead, their rotors spreading dust and debris into the air and clouding their vision temporarily. The two tanks were released from the ship and they hit the ground with a thud. The tanks came to life almost immediately, their treads tearing up the loose gravel that was caused from fallen buildings.

The Nighthawk fired its guns at the approaching Grublins and Orcs and forced them to either retreat or fall from the wave of armor piercing .50 caliber and .75 chain gun ammunition. The two Sparrowhawks landed nearby and deployed two groups of ten soldiers in black armor. They were Heavily Armed Covert Operations soldiers, HACOs. They were the special operations unit. They ran over to Wagner.

"Sir, Dyke wants us to help you secure a landing zone for more drop ships!" The soldier said and Wagner nodded.

"Let's get these Jaguars to the front!" Wagner said and they nodded and started moving to the ramparts.

"_This is Echo 3-6, we'll stay in the air to help support you as long as we can, 3-6 out."_ The Nighthawk pilot said over the radio to Wagner.

"Copy that, thanks for the support!" He said in reply. The Nighthawk and Sparrows flew overhead and fired their guns to keep any stragglers away. As they flew overhead, an enemy artillery round hit one of the helicopters and caused its tail to explode. It was sent spiraling into the ground nearby on an adjacent street.

"Damn, sir, they got one of our choppers!" Allison said.

"We've got to go help the pilots, HACOs, escort the tanks to the ramparts, we've got to help that pilot!"

"Roger, let's move!" The HACO said.

"Let us hurry, Grublins and Orcs will move to your ship's crash site." Hunter said. They ran through the streets and past a small skirmish between six moles and five Grublins. They finally turned a corner and saw that the helicopter had hit one of the towers and had fallen in a heap of metal to the ground. The chopper was ablaze.

Hunter was correct, several Grublins were massing around the fallen bird and were trying to gain entrance. Muzzle flashes were visible from the vehicle's cockpit, signs of life.

"There's small arms fire, those pilots are still alive! Let's help them out of there!" The Marines fired their rifles where they stood, filling the air with their shots. The Grublins gave out short chirps and yelps as they were hit and tumbled the ground. Hunter dashed to the right and shot an arrow straight into an Orc who dared to approach the Marines from the side.

"C'mon, let's go help that pilot!" Cynder said and Spyro dashed in with her. They went into the helicopter, its troop bay on fire. They went into the front part of the ship and found the two pilots still strapped in, trying to get out. They had their pistols in hand, ready to kill any hostiles that got near. Spyro coughed in the smoke.

"We're here to get you out!" He said. The pilot coughed in response.

"I can't breathe, get us out!" The other said. Cynder bit at his straps and Spyro did the same with the other. They grabbed them with their claws and dragged them off out of the chairs. They then dragged them out of the burning chopper and set them on the ground outside.

The last few Grublins were shot down as they dared to make a run for the helicopter. The other Marines came in to check their status.

"Let's get them out of here, they're in no condition to fight!" Wagner said.

"Allow me, I'll get them to safety, get to the ramparts, repel the enemies!" Hunter said, grabbed the two pilots and trying to put them over his two shoulders.

"Right, let's go!" Spyro said. They ran back to the streets and saw the drop ships fly overhead, guns blazing as several Wyverns dashed above. Dragons flew overhead too, pelting the ground with their attacks to try and fend off the hostile assault.

A few more Orcs sprang form the ground and offered another fight. However, before they attacked, a small black dragon flew overhead, breathing fire onto the Orcs below.

"Spyro, Cynder, you're not needed here! Get to the ramparts!" He said as he hovered.

"Who are you?" Spyro asked.

"Not important, just go!" The dragon said to them as he flew away. Bewildered, they shrugged and kept moving.

They ran into a courtyard with several flights of stairs leading upwards with golden statues of dragons sitting all around. The HACO soldiers were at the base with the tanks.

"Sir, these tanks won't make it up the stairs, they're too large to fit!" The HACO said.

"Echo 3-6, we need you to airlift these tanks up to the top of the wall!"

"_Negative Alpha, hostile artillery is too hot! If we try that we'll be sitting ducks!"_

"Copy 3-6. Alpha, we have to take out those cannons so the drop ships can land the tanks atop the wall!"

"Let's get up there!" Spyro said and dashed up the steps. The Marines and HACOs followed, along with a new group of Moles dashing to the scene above as well. They climbed several flights of stairs until they reached the top. The wall was a long pathway with three central platforms. They were larger then the regular wall and in the center loomed a single cannon for defense. The entire scene was shrouded in chaos.

Several groups of scattered moles fended off hordes of Grublins as they surged onto the walls. Artillery flew overhead, leaving trails of black smoke and sounding off an eerie wail as they flew overhead. The single golden cannon fired off a round at the oncoming army... which was enormous.

"Holy shit, look at the size of them!" One of the Marines yelled.

"We have to protect the catapult!" Spyro yelled and the Marines ran from the staircase. They fired their guns and smacked the Grublins with the butt of their weapons. The Moles with them slashed and clanged their swords against the Grublins and Wagner used a bayonet attached to his rifle and catch a sword strike meant for him, repel it and strike the Grublin in the chest. He impaled in and kicked it off the edge of the wall.

"Grapplers!" Called out a Mole and sure enough, grapples landed on the side of the wall, Orcs and Grublins climbing its heights.

"Cover the walls, Marines clear this area!" Wagner yelled. Allison rolled to the side to avoid a sword and fired off a burst as she fell onto her stomach. Another Orc nearby saw this and went to finish her off with a sword. She screamed and rolled again, firing another burst as she went.

The scene kept getting worse and worse as enemy artillery detonated on the walls, crumbling them. Several towers were approaching the walls.

"They've got Siege towers and battering rams! We must destroy them!" A mole called out as the Golden cannon fired another round. A tower connected with a platform to the right, nearest to the stairs they climbed up and several Grublins, Orcs with swords and arrows leapt out and engaged the little force of Moles there.

"Engaging!" Am HACO said as they got into crouched positions and fired at the Orcs, their SMGs and shotguns tearing them apart and sending them down the side of the wall.

"Destroy that thing! Use grenades!" The HACO leader called out and the HACOs threw grenades at the tower, shattering a black crystal on it and sending the thing toppling over downwards.

"Here comes more of 'em!" Sure enough, more towers were coming. One connected with the far left platform.

"We'll take care of that one!" Spyro said and Cynder nodded as she dashed with him. The Marines of Alpha covered them, carving a path through the chaos and reaching the cannon before they let Spyro and Cynder dash off towards the other platform.

Spyro saw several Grublins and Orcs emerge from the tower and immediately grabbed a Grublin by the leg and tossed him into an Orc just ahead. A few of them snarled and came at him headlong, their swords swinging and clanging.

They never made it as Cynder enveloped them in a tornado of wind and sent them tumbling over the edges of the walls. More came and Spyro froze them in place with his ice breath before dashing over to the siege tower which sat just ahead.

"Look out!" Cynder called and Spyro nearly avoided a swing strike by an Orc and he gritted his teeth before leaping onto his hind paws and clawing the creature in the face and then finished the job with a kick to the groin which sent it to the ground and Spyro smiled before going to the crystal that powered the siege tower.

"De ja vu much?" Cynder asked and Spyro smiled.

"Just like old times…" Spyro said before he cocked his paw back and smashed the dark gem with one powerful punch. The crystal shattered and the siege tower started to crumble and toppled downwards to the ground below. Several more towers were on their way and the Nighthawk and Sparrowhawk flew overhead, firing their guns at the oncoming army. Spyro caught a glimpse of Terrador, Volteer and Cyril pelting the ground with their attacks. Several other dragons joined in and the ground was a fury of different colors. However, the catapults and troops kept coming.

The drop ships aided the aerial defense and missiles streaked from their wings at the oncoming forces.

Finally the wall was clear of enemy soldiers and the Marines, HACOs and Mole and Cheetah archers took up positions along the wall and fired below. The Marines and HACOs fired their weapons downward, hitting grapplers and enemy soldiers climbing up the walls.

"Deploy the mortars!" An HACO said and two HACOs ran up to the right and left platforms carrying metal tubes with stands. They positioned their to where they angled towards the enemy army and they placed a conical metal round inside of the tube. It fired out with a POP and a trail of smoke followed the round as it flew and smashed into a horde of enemies, shrouding them in an explosion.

"_If you punch a hole in their artillery, we can airlift the tanks up."_

"Team, aim for the enemy cannons!"

The HACOs complied and fired more rounds, as did the Golden cannon.

"They're out of range sir!" The HACO called out as they continued to fire their mortars.

"We'll get them!" Spyro called out. He and Cynder took flight and flew directly at the army. Missiles and rounds from the drop ships flew this way and that, as did the elemental attacks of the dragons. The ground was an array of smoke and debris as friendly artillery detonated all around.

The lead siege towers were the culprits of the bombardment, their depths belching out a large fireball which sailed at the Dragon City.

"Let's do this Cynder!" Spyro said and they flew overhead, pelting the ground with their attacks. Spyro flew directly at the lead tower. He engulfed his body in fire and unleashed his comet dash. He hit the side of the tower and the force of the impact sent it tumbling downwards. He hovered for a moment before sailing down. He landed in a mass of enemies and went to work.

They dashed at him with their swords but he flicked his tail in a circular motion, sending them back. More came and he rolled to the left, avoiding a strike and letting the creature fall into its own attack. Spyro doubled around and slammed it into the ground before rolling backwards to avoid arrows. In his backwards motion he fired off several fireballs at the enemies and landed to face a large Orc who hit him with the butt of his weapon.

Spyro was sent back but snarled and used his electricity to stun all the surrounding forces and then chilled the surrounding air with a jet of ice. The surrounding air formed a blizzard and anything nearby was encased in ice. Spyro then saw more coming and fired several shards of ice, the ice smashing against the armor but soon piercing and they acted like a wall of spikes, mowing them down.

A horde of Grublins and Orcs kept coming and surrounding him and Spyro had to catch a bit of breath before leaping in the air, only to sail back down, grab an Orc by the neck and sail upwards with him. He carried the Orc up, gathered speed and momentum in an upwards climb, and then sent the Orc back down to the ground in a toss. The impact sent several onto their feet and Spyro followed it up with several explosive fireballs.

The ground became a sea of fire and Spyro flew down and used the winds from his wings to extinguish the fires. More and more kept coming however and he flew forward, grabbed a Grublin and held him close as he used his wings to propel himself like a jet. He closed his arms and legs and pressed them against his body as best he could to reduce drag and he shot through the group like a bullet, his horns and airspeed knocking anything off of its feet and then he sent the Grublin into the ground and kicked it hard with his feet.

He looked up and saw the second tower shatter into several pieces and smoke belching from it. Spyro saw Cynder emerge from the smoke and she knocked several wyverns to the ground and flew down to Spyro, still hovering a mid-air and a smug look on her face.

"Having fun?" She asked. Spyro looked around, took a breath to recover and looked at her.

"Could use some help." He said and she giggled before landing nearby.

They were nearly back to back and Cynder smiled.

"You don't have to do this alone… I'm with you." Spyro smiled, remembering a similar phrase that she said to him… back at the core of the world.

"Together…" He muttered before the Grublins and Orcs drew nearer, a roar of battle screeching from their mouths.

Cynder was the first to react. Her teeth bared, she dashed from the center and engaged an Orc, grabbing it in the neck and injecting poison into him. She grabbed him and threw him away before doing a mid-air back flip and using her tail like a whip, striking oncoming enemies. She used the blade on the end and it smacked away several enemies. A Grublin latched onto her tail and another onto her midsection. Their combined weight brought her down and she used this to her advantage. She rolled over, knocking them off, and then used her wind to form a tornado which drew in close enemies.

She released the tornado and it was left there, spiraling the enemies as she ran alongside it, a smile on her face. They were soon sent out of their air prison as Spyro flew through them, his body engulfed in fire. They were sent from their positions into the ground where Spyro used electricity to stun them before smashing into the ground. He emerged and smiled at Cynder who smiled back.

They looked at each other and got an idea. They latched claws and ran in a circular movement. The combined movement caused their tails to become lethal weapons which knocked anything off of its feet and they shrouded their bodies in energy. Spyro engulfed his in fire while Cynder used shadow. It was a blackish and orange cloud of death as they smashed into anything nearby and sent it away.

They disengaged the attack and panted a bit as their energies were draining. Spyro looked up and saw the dragons flying overhead, engaged in dogfights with wyverns and other airborne creatures. The Human drop ships flew overhead, tracers filling the sky and missiles streaking across the landscape and engulfing Orcs and Grublins in a fiery blanket of destruction.

The Nighthawk flew and weapons blared from it and several Orcs disappeared into a haze of dirt that was kicked up from the weapon.

Spyro panted and looked around. There was a considerable gap in the enemy forces, stretching for about a few dozen to a hundred yards, thanks to them.

"This… is… easy…" Cynder said in between pants.

"We've got to keep this up…" Spyro said in reply.

Suddenly the air was filled with loud CRACKS and they looked at he wall to see the two Jaguar tanks deployed and their two guns sending out enormous tank shells at the oncoming army.

"What you say we take a break?" Cynder asked in a sort of happy tone.

"Sure…" Spyro laughed, stretching his wings and taking flight back to the wall. The tanks and mortars were dealing considerable damage to the enemy forces. The tank's rounds shattered siege engines far off in the distance and the battering rams backed off as much as they could.

They landed on the wall and got applause from the Marines.

"Damn, you guys are awesome!" One of them said.

"You guys are really good fighters!"

"Do that again!"

Spyro and Cynder looked down to see that the gap they made was very, very apparent from where they were. They couldn't help but blush. Spyro sort of giggled, but suppressed it.

"_This is 3-6. We're running low on ammo and fuel. We're returning to the _Typhus_ to refit and refuel. We'll swing back in a bit."_

"Copy 3-6, thanks for the support!" Wagner said. The drop ships flew overhead and back to where they came from.

The combined efforts of the tanks, mortars, cannon fire, dragon and Marine support sent the enemy army into a full retreat as their numbers began to fall.

"That all you got?! You can do better then that!" One of the Marines yelled as they began to retreat.

"You want better? I'll show you better!" A new voice boomed through the area and the Marines scanned the area with their rifles. No contacts were present.

Suddenly a beam of darkness broke through the clouds and connected with one of the Jaguars. The beam cut through it and the tank exploded. A few HACOs were caught in the blast and yelled as their bodies were visible for a few seconds before they vanished in the cloud of smoke.

"What the f-"

"Watch you lip soldier!" Wagner said to the Marine.

They looked around and suddenly a black dragon burst from the clouds, landed on the right platform and knocked the tank right off from it. The tank, along with several HACOs, was sent falling to the ground below.

"Who the hell's this?!" Wagner said as he pointed his rifle at him.

"I don't know, we've never seen him before!" Spyro said. The dragon let out a laugh.

"Well allow me to introduce myself! I am Fang!" The black dragon bellowed.

"I don't give a crap who you are, you're going down!" One of the Marines said and they fired their rifles at him. He formed a shield, blocking the ammo. He sent a wave of blackness that sent them off of their feet.

"Fools! You shall all perish!" He flew over, grabbed Spyro and Cynder and tossed them to the ground below.

"I shall be back to finish you guys off… I must attend to some business…" Fang said before he left the Marines to slowly get back to their feet.

"I've waited a long time for this… today is the day this war ends… and this time nothing shall stop my master from destroying everything!" Fang smashed Spyro into the ground more as he finished his statement. Wagner looked down and saw Spyro get attacked.

"Spyro!" He yelled.

"Don't worry, we'll handle him! Keep the Dark Armies outside of the city!" Spyro yelled as Fang smashed him into the ground. Wagner frowned but motioned for his men to reform their defense again.

The Marines that had been guarding the city gates with a few Moles and dragons fled to higher ground and a few dragons took to the skies to help the Marines defend the walls. Terrador flew overhead and helped organize the defense and Spyro and Cynder began to engage their new target.

"Get off of him!" Cynder yelled as she blew a wave of wind which knocked Fang off of Spyro. Spyro grunted and got off of him.

"Oh… this is the 'Dark Serpent'… the 'Terror of the Skies'… you're a mere weakling! A traitor to the Dark Master!" Fang shot a beam of darkness at Cynder and it hit her dead on, knocking her into a wall.

"Cynder!" Spyro yelled. Before he could help her however, he was grabbed around the throat by Fang.

"The Dark Master shall return… but before he does… I will destroy this city and you with it! You are a shame to the purple dragons and must be silenced!" Spyro bore his teeth and charged his body up with energy and blew Fang off of him. Fang merely snarled in return.

"You think you can beat me?!" Fang snarled and Spyro glared at him as he shrugged off the pain. Spyro lunged at Fang and flicked his wings in an attempt to knock Fang over. However, this failed.

Fang knocked him away and laughed.

"You think you can win?" He smacked him up and brought his face level to his own.

"Such a disappointment…" He tossed Spyro into the ground nearby and strolled nearby.

"Malefor spoke so highly of you… said you were a talented fighter…" Fang kicked Spyro and Cynder flew over to help him but she was sent into the ground with his arm.

"Such a disappointment. I wish to destroy you… but sadly I cannot…" Fang stood up straight and flared his nostrils. Spyro gave him an inquisitive look.

"Ah Spyro… you have no idea about the forces at work do you? Why you're here? Why I'm here? Why these Humans are here? Why the Dark Master is the Dark Master and not some purple dragon out trying to save everybody?"

"What're you talking about…" Spyro said with a grunt.

"Malefor told you of the purple dragon's destiny did he not?"

Spyro frowned and glared at him.

"Well… that was their destiny. Now… now with the human's arrival and with your arrival… that's all changed. Now… it's to something far greater… something to trump the Great Cleansing… and you are the one to bring this about… being a purple dragon…"

"I'll never do any of that!" Spyro yelled.

"Oh you'll see." Fang kicked Spyro into a wall and laughed.

"This city will fall, along with any resistance to the Dark Master. Your human friends will fall as well. The only thing left in my path is you." Fang picked up Spyro and held a dark crystal in his hands.

"You will help us, regardless of your choice." He held up the crystal to Spyro and it started to glow softly. Spyro roared out and his scales started to turn a dark black color and a hazy field started to shroud his form.

"No! Get off of him!" Cynder said as she flew at him. Fang knocked her away and turned his attention back to Spyro.

Just as Fang held the crystal close, something hot and sharp hit Fang in the back. He roared and saw Marine Sparrowhawk flying low, its .50 caliber guns firing at him. The AP rounds tore through him and he was forced to deploy a shield, which was soon shattered as more AP rounds and a missile hit it. He snarled and watched as the sky was eclipsed by a large moving object. A large aircraft loomed over Warfang, the UERNF Frigate _Typhus_. The ship flew overhead and several drop ships flew in and fired their guns at him. Two tanks rounded the corner of a street and fired their main guns at him. He rolled to the left to avoid them and two towers came toppling down.

"This is getting annoying! I'll be back for you Spyro, you'll see!" Fang spread his wings and took off into the sky. A Nighthawk harassed him but he shook the aircraft off, flying high into the clouds.

"Spyro!" Cynder yelled as she dashed to the purple dragon. As Fang had released him, the black haze had vanished and his scales had returned to their original purple hue. Spyro heard her and looked up.

"Cynder…" He started to say, a look of self pity in his eyes.

"It's alright, you're amongst friends." She said as she smiled at him. Spyro returned the smile, remembering those words from sometime before. She walked up and rubbed his muzzle which he returned, a tear starting to form in his eye.

"Spyro, Cynder, you guys alright?" Wagner asked as he, Allison, and the other Marines of the recon group came up.

"We're fine." Spyro said in reply. A Nighthawk flew down and landed nearby, dirt being scattered by the jets on board. A few Marines came from the troop bay and a Marine Officer stepped out as well.

"Colonel Dyke, sir!" Wagner said as he saw the officer.

"Lieutenant, nice work! After Echo 3-6 told us about the attack we came in as fast as we could. It seems like we were just in time." Dyke said as Jaguars, Crusader APCs and several jeeps and Marines walked this way and that, securing any stray enemy soldiers that had found their way past the walls and into the courtyard.

Helicopters flew overhead, pelting the army outside the walls with missiles and machine gun fire. Marines, Cheetahs, Dragons and Moles combed the streets and anything wielding anything against them was immediately knocked down or killed. Terrador flew down and greeted their new allies.

"Thank you for your help… they almost breached the walls."

"We're glad to help." Wagner answered. Wagner then turned to face the Colonel.

"So how many troops do we have Dyke?"

"We've located most of the 72nd which makes up for about 700 or so Marines. We've also got a small group of HACOs and our naval crews. We have right now 4 Nighthawks and 3 Sparrowhawks, 5 Jaguars, 3 Crusaders and 8 Jeeps. It's a good thing we got here now. We can now set up a base camp."

"Sir, shouldn't we be trying to get home?" Allison asked.

"The hyper-drive aboard the _Typhus_ has been disabled for some reason. We're stuck here."

"So what did that 'Fang' guy want anyway?" A Marine asked.

"He wants to resurrect the Dark Master… and my guess, try to bring about the Great Cleansing."

"What the hell's that?"

"The Great Cleansing… is when a creature called The Destroyer emerges from the depths of the planet… and marches across the land. If he completes a full circle across the planet, the world will be destroyed."

"Shit…"

"And it almost worked too… we just evaded one just now." Spyro said, having a look of anger in his eyes.

"Wait, you say you 'stopped' one just now?" Wagner asked, looking at the dragon.

"Yeah… why?" Wagner and Allison looked at each other.

"We saw a bright star in the sky yesterday, maybe it was that." Wagner said.

"Wow… didn't think it was that bright." Cynder said.

"So if that Fang resurrects the Dark Master… he's gunna try to do that Great Cleansing thing again?" Dyke asked.

"Yeah. We have to stop him before he resurrects him!"

"Where is the Dark Master now?" He asked, looking at the dragon intently.

"He's trapped inside a dark crystal in the center of the planet. Through there." Cynder pointed to a volcano in the distance, a smoke pillar rising from it and other regions of lava pools. The volcano sat on the other side of the large field that stretched out from the city's walls.

"Wagner, we have a new mission. I want Alpha and Theta to move in immediately. You are to secure that volcano and stop Fang from bringing back the Dark Master. You are to secure a landing zone and get it ready for reinforcements to drop in."

"Yes sir, Alpha, let's get ready to move!" Wagner said as the other Platoons from Alpha came to them from nearby drop ships.

"Thank you for your help."Terrador said to the Colonel.

"We can't let a world get destroyed, can we?" Dyke said with a smile.

"Spyro! YOU'RE ALIVE!!!!" Spyro turned and to his delight saw a small yellow light fly up. It was his brother, Sparx.

"Hey, Sparx!" Spyro said in happiness. Sparx flew up and gave Spyro a hug… or as much of a hug as he could. Suddenly Sparx realized what he was doing and flew off. He coughed and looked a bit embarrassed.

"I told them you'd be alright." He said finally.

"Yeah… sure… thanks Sparx." Spyro said with a sarcastic smug look on his face. Cynder smiled at the two. Another dragon had accompanied Sparx. It was a black dragon with similarly colored horns and chest. It was the same one from before.

"Spyro, Cynder, it's good to see you."

"Hey wait, I know you, you're Aaron right?" Cynder asked.

"Yeah, I am. It's good to see you again Cynder."

"What does he mean, 'again'." Spyro asked, looking at her.

"Like me he used to be a servant of the Dark Master. However, after you defeated me I never saw a trace of him."

"After you went to Convexity I tried to hitch a ride out of there. I was tired of Malefor… I wanted out… but… I didn't get the chance to ever meet you because I was lost in the forest for a month until I found Ignitus. He took me back to the temple but said you two had vanished."

"Yeah… we did…"

"For 3 years no less." Hunter said, walking up with the two injured pilots from the downed helicopter.

"Well it's good to finally meet you guys now. Especially now that she isn't bent on killing every moving thing now."

"Hah, amen to that one! Who's with me?" Sparx extended his hand for a handshake but no one took it.

"You guys are no fun…" Sparx scoffed and buzzed around the group once more.

"Well we'd better get moving, we don't want to miss that Marine assault do we?" Cynder asked.

"Yeah, I want to make sure Fang doesn't get there first…" Spyro said as he glared at the mountain once more.

"Hey, think you guys could use an extra tag along?" Aaron asked.

"Hey, the more the merrier." Cynder said with a smile. The group started walking to Wagner who was busy organizing Alpha and getting them ready for the assault.

__________________

Meanwhile…

???

March 3, 2204

1512 Hours

???

"Yes… things are going according to plan…" The large black dragon sat on his throne, watching the scene erupt before him. He watched intently as Spyro and his allies repelled the assault on Warfang and the Marines flew in to aid them.

"Now that Fang has alerted Spyro to his presense… he will no doubt go to stop him from resurrecting Malefor. Malefor… he is powerful… I can undoubtedly use his help… and that Spyro is growing more and more impressive as the days go by…" I think its time we… mixed things up a bit… no?" The dragon turned to another figure in the room.

"Go… move your army to the Dragon Realms and wait for my signal. You should not be long…" With that the other figure bowed and left the room. The black dragon resumed his watching of Spyro and his friends… his gaze locked onto the purple dragon.

End of Chapter 8

Spyro/Cynder Sierra Entertainment

Aaron Dragonfreak1112 from DeviantART

Wagner, Allison, United Marine Corps, Fang, Black Dragon Me


	9. The Burned Path

Chapter 9: The Burned Path

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

March 3, 2204

1842 Hours

Echo 1-3, UER Assault Convoy, inbound to The Burned Lands

Journals log-

Private First Class Jacob Marley

Alpha Company, 2nd Platoon, 72nd Marines

March 3rd, 2204

Dear Journal,

Ever since I came here, this world has been so much different then any Colony I've ever been to. It's… weird… I can't explain it. I've only been here a day and it's already turned into a hell hole. I've managed to regroup with Alpha, only after a hellish fight through the forest… and then we went to this city today and I was with the recon squad that almost got our asses handed to us by those damn creatures. Wagner says that we should only be here a bit longer…but from what Dyke said we're stuck here. I want only to be home so badly…

Well… now we're here. I'm on a drop ship inbound to what the Dragons (that's right, I said Dragons) refer to as 'The Burned Lands'. It's a large volcanic crater of some sort surrounding a large mountain that's collapsed in on itself. Its outskirts are surrounded by mushrooms… rather large ones to.

1st and 2nd Platoons from Alpha are moving in with 3rd and 2nd from Theta. We're clearing a landing zone for the heavy stuff so more troops can hit the dirt. We're pushing towards the mountain cause while we were in 'Warfang' a large dragon called Fang attacked us and is supposed to have his base here. He's also trying to revive the 'Dark Master' or something. That one dragon that travels with us- Spyro- seems pretty pissed about that and he and his girl friend don't want that to happen. This world is so screwed up that I'm betting he's some big bad evil dude bent of destroying the world… there's already enough people shooting at me… I don't need another… All I know is that once we kick his ass we're out of here.

I sort of regret joining the Marines… but I needed the money for College and I couldn't get a job anywhere else… but now we're in this damn war. I guess I would have been signed up one way or another. Jessica… I'm sorry I left… but I needed the money… as soon as I can I'll try to get this out… but that's if I get the chance. It looks like I may die here. Jessica, if you ever read this, I love you and I will come home to you and this'll all be over, you'll see.

"Hey Jacob, get in the game we're almost there." Corporal Henderson said from across the troop bay of the Nighthawk.

"Yeah… I know…" Marley sighed and put his journal back into his pack and sighed. Marley looked over to the purple dragon standing in the troop bay, looking at the burned landscape that passed beneath.

"Hey, what's up with him?" Henderson asked. The black dragoness- Cynder- walked up to Spyro and set her paw on his shoulder.

"You alright?" She asked. Spyro sighed.

"There's… just too many memories here…" He said as he looked at the landscape beneath him turn into that of a scorched forest with huge lava flows, enormous craters, and collapsed structures- the result of the near Great Cleansing. The once brilliant floating castles that hovered above the Realms now sat in the lava, their bricks scorched in the hot fire. As the planet cracked, this area had collapsed into itself, creating an even more massive lava pool and out of it a new series of small volcanic islands were born.

"Spyro… sometimes we just have to learn to just let go…"

"What's the matter?" Allison asked as she sat next to them.

"This used to be my home… before the Dark Master destroyed it… and then…" Spyro trailed off… feeling an deep sorrow ignite inside of him as he remembered Ignitus, the fire guardian, giving his life so they could make it to Malefor's lair.

"… and what?" Allison asked.

"Spyro… lost someone very close to him here…"

"He was like a father to me…" He said, watching the lava pools pass beneath him. Allison frowned.

"We all lose people sometimes Spyro… sometimes its hard but it's the truth…" Allison said as she remembered Karson. She had no clue where he was. The recon squad that finally regrouped with Alpha in the Valley of Avalar didn't say much but said he went off somewhere by himself. They seemed to keep that information to themselves.

"Oh Karson…" She said lowly.

"Karson?" Cynder asked, looking at her.

"Oh… it's just somebody…"

"That you like?" She asked with a sort of grin.

"What?! No! We're just… friends." Cynder smiled at the statement.

"We're nearing the drop zone! Get ready!" Wagner yelled from his seat.

"Here we go…" Aaron said as he got ready.

"Yeah… time to go to work." Spyro said as he sighed.

"C'mon guys, why so serious? How about some knock knock jokes?" Sparx said as he buzzed around them, trying to keep himself inside the troop bay and not fly out. They merely glared at him.

The Nighthawk landed on a plateau of scorched ground sitting in a lava drift. The second Nighthawk with them touched down yards away and the Marines came out of the drop ships.

"Alright, we've got to clear a landing zone for the other soldiers and armor, let's move!"

They walked down the pathway, a long bridge of rock that was elevated about 20 yards from a river of molten lava. The smoke coming from the lava made some of the Marines cough and sputter.

"Damn this ash is thick…" One of the Marines commented as they ran down the path.

"Let's hope nothing comes out…" Aaron said as he looked at the lava.

"The last thing we need is an attack…"

"Well we're in the heat of it now. If Fang is here to free Malefor, his army will be here too. Keep your eyes peeled." Wagner said as the Marines moved.

As they reached the other end of the rock bridge they came to where they were atop a ledge overlooking an opened up path beneath them. They heard dull thuds and looked down to see a group of Lakadors engaging a group of flying Grublins and a few Orcs.

"Lakadors? What're they doing here?" A Marine asked. The Lakadors were pushing towards the volcano… where Fang and the Dark Master were.

"They're headed for the Volcano… they're probably after the same thing we're after or worse… c'mon, we need to get there first." Wagner said. He keyed his mike.

"Theta, be advised, there are several Lakador infantry units in the area. Advise you proceed with extreme caution over."

_"Copy that, we have eyes on a Lakador armored convoy heading towards the volcano."_

"Roger. Don't engage, try to move around."

_"Acknowledged, Theta out."_

"C'mon, we have to get their first!" Wagner hissed to them and they moved along the ridge, watching the Lakadors engage the Grublins in a long range firefight. A large creature emerged from the ground, holding onto a large staff and a scorpion like tail protruding from its backside. It slashed at the Lakadors, knocking them away and roaring at the rest.

"Damn, that thing is huge!"

"Let's keep moving!"

They moved along the ridge until they reached a large, opened up mesa that stretched for a good 100 yards. They heard distant sounds of gunfire, meaning the Marines of Theta had been engaged in combat.

The ground up ahead gave way and collapsed, giving way to several Orcs who came up from the ground and a few more Grublins came up from the ground and screeched at the oncoming Marines.

The Marines immediately responded, their rifles blaring and the constant tat, tat, tat, of automatic weapon's fire broke the distant roar of lava. The Orcs fell over from the gunfire and the Grublins dashed forward between the crossfire and slashed their swords.

Aaron slashed his tail and smacked one of the Grublins down. Another slashed his sword and Aaron had to roll to the side to dodge. Spyro had to also do the same as three slashed swords. These Grublins, unlike the ones assaulting Warfang, were airborne and they swarmed every which way, attacking the Marines.

A few of the Marines fell victim as they swarmed and overpowered them.

"Damn, these guys are tougher!" A Marine said.

"We're near the volcano, they're a lot tougher here!" Cynder said just before one hit her across the face with its claws. She screamed and gripped her face, the scales in that region being cracked and the pieces digging into her skin, electing small pings of pain.

Spyro bit one on the leg and tossed it aside, just as another grabbed the back of his head and tried to drive a sword in it. He tried to fight back but these were a lot tougher then the ones from Warfang… a lot tougher. He had fought them before, when he last came to the Burned Lands, but they had gotten stronger since.

He tried to swing the creature off but it smashed the tip of its sword into the back of Spyro's head and pushed harder. Spyro felt the sword penetrate his scales and slice into his skin. He yelled in pain and suddenly felt the pressure lessen. He saw the Grublin fall to the ground and heard the sword clatter to the ground as well. He turned and saw Wagner, his rifle pointed at him and smoking from its recent usage.

Spyro nodded, feeling blood oozing from his wound and pain smashing through his head like a sledge hammer.

"Spyro, you alright?" Aaron asked as he walked over, making his way to the other side to deal with an Orc archer.

"I'm fine, just go!" Spyro said and with a look of skepticism Aaron dashed over to deal with that Orc.

Meanwhile…

Earth, UER Homeworld, Sol System

June 23, 2192

1244 Hours

Florida, United States

"C'mon Karson, you're too slow!"

"No fair, you're cheating!" Karson stumbled as he ran through the grass. Allison evaded him once more as he dashed at her. She laughed and he groaned. It was one thing to miss her… it was another to have continue chasing her.

Their small 6 year old bodies dashed in the June sun. The heat warmed up the area and it was surprisingly only around 80 degrees outside. It was a gorgeous day outside with nothing more then giggles and the distant sounds of cars driving on the freeway.

The blue sky dominated the area and a few white fluffy clouds floated above. A bird flew above as well and landed on a tree branch nearby, watching the children dash across the green lawn.

It was a simple game of tag, but Karson thought it was torture. Allison was always much faster then him. She always had the advantage when doing this. She ran atop a small mound of dirt that sat nearby. The mound was a good 4 meters tall and as she ran up, small rocks fell under her feet.

Determined, Karson ran over to the dirt and started to climb its rocky surface as well. She smiled down at him and laughed. He grumbled and kept up until the dirt started to shake and they both let out a small scream as the dirt gave way from under them. They landed on the dirt as they looked up to see the inside of a cave.

The dirt had given out and had revealed a small cave just underneath where they had been playing. The light filtered in and illuminated the passage. On the far end there was a large silver door. They both walked up to it and looked it over. Karson kept his distance while Allison approached it… almost in a trance like state. She touched it and Karson was amazed as the door began to shine a brilliant blue. A small ice emblem appeared on the door and it slid open.

Inside there were two gemstones. An orange and a blue one. Karson and Allison looked at each other before they slowly entered the new room. A small mysterious light shined upon the pedestal in which the two gemstones were perched on. They gave each other inquisitive looks before they both touched them and a bright flash blew through their visions.

…

UER Colony World New Athena

November 23, 2203

1322 Hours

UERMC Training Camp, Ft. Evergreen

"C'mon, keep running, don't fall behind!"

"Karson, keep your ass in line, don't fall behind!"

Karson breathed hard as his Drill Sergeant bellowed orders. He sprinted a bit faster, trying to catch up with his fellow Marines. Being a trainee wasn't easy… He ran as fast as he could, but couldn't keep up with his fellow Marines.

"What's the mater Private? You too fat to keep up? Run you maggot!" Karson huffed and sweat flew from his head as he gave it his all. He nearly fell over in his attempt to catch up with the rest.

Their dash across the mountain finally came to an end and Karson sat down, panting excessively. Allison sat down next to him with her canteen.

"I know the Sergeant won't allow this… but here's some water. It's a bit hot so sorry."

"Allison you sure? He'll yell at you and-"

"I'll take the blame for it. Just drink it." Karson looked at her before sighing and taking a hold of the canteen. The casing was cold… and as he took a sip the water was ice cold, unlike Allison's claims.

"This is actually cold. You sure it's hot?" He asked.

"It was when we put it in. Remember he boiled the water to make sure we didn't drink it. You sure it's cold?"

"Have a sip." She took the canteen and drank a bit of water.

"It is… cold. What the hell?" Karson took a hold of it and in the process, brushed Allison's hands. They were cold as ice.

"Ah, Allison, your hands are cold! What've you doing, it's about 92 outside right now!"

"I uh… don't know…" She looked at her hands but lowered them as Karson took another sip from the canteen. A loud booming voice brought them to.

"What is this?! I THOUGHT I ORDERED NO WATER DURING THIS EXERSISE! Corporal, did I not say that?!" The Drill Sergeant's voice boomed as he stood nearby the two Marines. The Corporal in charge of them walked up.

"Sir yes sir, no water during this exercise today!" The Corporal said.

"Punish these Marines accordingly Corporal!" With that the Sergeant angrily strolled away and the Corporal looked at them.

"You two, latrine duty, now!" He said. They groaned but obediently went to their duties.

…

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

March 3, 2204

1945 Hours

Unknown Location, 33 Meters Below Ground Level

"We're getting close." The words brought Karson back to the present and he looked at the origin of the voice. The dragon ahead of him kept walking forward and he sighed and gripped his M74C tightly as he walked. He speed up a bit, trying to catch up with the dragon.

The passage they were in was lit by small purple torches and wasn't too terribly large. He walked up to the dragon, a question sprawling in his head.

"So… what do you want me for?" Karson asked, breaking the silence. The dragon didn't turn to him to respond.

"Your destiny is very complicated. Just your presence, as well as the others, means something great or something horrible is about to happen."

"Uh… what?"

"I don't expect you to know every detail… but have you been having visions lately?"

"Yeah… most are of this big silver tower with a purple beam shooting out of it… and this dragon… this purple dragon… hovering above it… as if in control."

"Just as I suspected. That dragon is Spyro. That vision holds the key to the very fate of every being in existence."

"Wait, what's so special about him? And who are you exactly?"

"My name is Diablo. I am the first purple dragon."

"I take it purple dragons are really special?"

"They are the ones to save the world from a fate worse then death. As the first it is my duty to ensure that history does not repeat itself like it has so many times before."

"What happened… before?"

"The silver tower from your visions, you remember it? And the purple dragon above it?"

"Yes."

"That… is the end of the world itself. The purple dragon above it, Spyro, he is to be the one to bring about that ending."

"How do you know?!"

"By you being here, as well as the others."

"The others? What're you talking about?!"

"You are the sign, and Spyro is the one. He is the one to bring this about, and you- and the others- are to stop him."

"How, how do we stop him?!"

"I will explain more, but right now your friends are walking into a trap. They are playing right into his hands… we cannot let him win."

"You're not answering me! Who is 'him'?"

"Just follow me, I will tell more later!"

Karson grunted and with much distaste followed the purple dragon as he bolted down the hallways and into the darkness.

Meanwhile…

March 3, 2204

1722 Hours

'Fire Canyon', heading to Objective Alpha

"Grenades, right there!"

"Contacts, on the right!"

"Provide suppressing fire!"

"Spyro move to the right and provide support!" Wagner yelled as he pulled down on the trigger of his assault rifle. The heat from that and the surrounding lava caused sweat to fall from his face and he whipped his forehead as he pointed his rifle at more Grublin and Orc as they came at them.

"Lieutenant, we have more contacts moving on our flank!" As the Private said this, he screamed aloud as an arrow collided into his arm and he fell over. Wagner turned and saw archer Orcs standing atop a ridgeline.

Spyro and Cynder dashed up and breathed their attacks, Spyro using fire and Cynder using her shadow attack. The Orcs screeched and fell over. Aaron flew nearby as well, slamming his claws into enemies and using fire to fend them off.

They finally knocked off the last stragglers and ran down the scorched path once more. The volcano was less then two clicks from them. They were close.

As they went on further, they saw a structure protruding from the lava. A small path of rocks lead directly to it and they'd have to traverse that to get to the next stretch of volcanic area. They dashed across it, lava boiling and smoke columns rising.

The structure looked like a castle that had fallen into the lava and had gotten stuck inside of it. The castle had several structures coming out from it and was pretty tall. Several golden statues of dragons dotted it and it looked like a part of Warfang.

"What is this place?" Allison asked as they walked across it.

"These used to be floating in the sky… when the Great Cleansing happened, they fell into the lava." Spyro said to them. Wagner looked at him a bit odd.

"You've mentioned this 'Great Cleansing' a few times now, what is it?"

"It's…" Spyro didn't finish his statement. Instead, he looked at the ground in shame.

"It's something." Cynder said for him.

"Well if this was a castle, what was this place before? There seems to be a lot of places that looked as if they were something before." A female Marine asked as she inspected the area.

"This used to be my home." Spyro said as he looked around.

"You mean our home. This place is a dump now." Sparx commented as he looked around.

"This was your home? What happened? What was it like before?" Allison asked the purple dragon.

"It was a beautiful mushroom forest. It stretched out for miles and there was a beautiful dragon temple perched atop a cliff… now this is all that remains…" Spyro said while looking at a scorched tree trunk sitting atop a cliff in the distance.

"Where's this dragon temple, is it still here?" Wagner asked. Spyro merely pointed to pieces of debris scattering the incline of the volcano.

"Oh…" Wagner simply said. A low rumble happened and lava began to spout from the volcano in the distance. Huge columns of fire and ash flew from it and a black cloud formed above it. Small lightning strikes were visible and ash and small molten rocks rained from the sky.

One of the Marines coughed and covered his mouth.

"Damn… this ash is getting thick…" He commented.

"Yeah, let's keep moving! We have to reach the LZ!" He yelled before they started walking across the castle floor. They got to the other side and reached a ridge that overlooked a plateau. It was the LZ. However, there were hostiles in the area, large amounts of Orcs and Grublins. There were several varieties of Orcs- heavily armored ones, sword toting ones, archers and several others. There was even one of those large creatures with the large scorpion tail and huge body.

"Looks like a patrol… doesn't look like they know where we are…" Aaron said as they got down to their stomachs and observed the enemy patrol. Wagner pulled out a pair of binoculars and looked them over.

"Defiantly a patrol." He said.

"We have to clear them out before the main forces can land." Allison said.

"That big one's gunna be a problem." Wagner said and pointed to the one with the scorpion tail.

"We can take him." Spyro said, ignoring the pain coming from his wounds.

"Spyro, you need to have that checked out." Allison said, pointing to the blood dripping from his wound.

"I'm fine, we need to get to the volcano."

"Spyro, what's the matter? Cynder asked, putting a paw on him. He was never this serious, nor this stubborn. Something was wrong.

"Cynder… we have to stop Fang from freeing Malefor… too many have died… we have to make sure this is the final push…" Spyro said, looking her in the eyes. She sighed and looked at him.

"Spyro… you're hurt. You need to rest. I can do this." Cynder said to him.

"Cynder, I have to do this, for Ignitus." She looked at the ground in defeat and Aaron had a frown on his face from this. Sparx had nothing to comment on and sat in the ash, watching them.

"Well we'd better act fast and get that landing zone secure, the Nighthawks can't wait forever." Wagner said as he watched.

Spyro sprang from the group, his claws itching for a fight. He latched onto a Grublin and sent it flying into a ground of Orcs who were knocked off by the attack. Spyro flinched as an arrow nailed his left arm but only shattered the scales in that region.

"Spyro, let us take over!" Aaron said as he flew down with Cynder. The Marines atop the ridge opened up and reluctantly, Spyro let them take over. Cynder smiled affectionately at him before going off with Aaron who was already busy blowing fire at the oncoming Grublins. Cynder threw in her own breath, coating the enemies in poisonous gasses which caused them to gag and grasp their throats.

The large creature plowed through the dead or dying Orcs and charged at Cynder and Aaron. It knocked them both out of the way and was headed for Spyro who snarled and readied himself.

The Marines fired upon this target, coating it with .22 ammunition. However, the rifle ammo did little to nothing against it as it charged Spyro. Spyro breathed fire at it before rolling out of its attack. He cringed in pain a bit as his wound from the Lakador shot burned at his side. It felt like the charred flesh was digging into his arm like a knife.

His wound on his neck also sent pain through his body, blood starting to trickle out of the wound. He went to the right and fired several bolts of electricity at the creature which only served to anger it even more. It barreled at him and was only deterred by the gunfire being outputted by the Marines and a barrage of attacks by Cynder and Aaron.

It broke off its attack but snarled at the pair before making a swipe at them. Spyro grabbed onto its back and bit it as much as he could. The creature snarled and tried to smack him off but his jaw was firmly planted into him. Finally he used enough force and Spyro flew from his position and landed on the ground. He picked himself up to find the creature walking towards him.

Suddenly the creature let out a howl and fell over, its back singed from a large amount of dark energy. Spyro looked and saw a large group of Lakadors firing at them, a tank also supporting them.

"Spyro, get out of there!" Wagner yelled. Spyro dashed away but dark energy flew all over. He was trapped, as were Cynder and Aaron, taking cover behind a fallen pillar of rock.

"Spyro!" Sparx called out but just as soon dashed behind a rock for protection.

More dark energy flew overhead and the Marines of Alpha tried their hardest to fight back but lacked anti-tank weapons. They couldn't do anything against that tank rolling into the area.

The tank fired, blowing a large chunk of ground from where Spyro was. He landed hard near the fallen corpse of the creature he had been fighting earlier and dragged himself behind it to take cover.

He heard a loud screech sound, followed with a thud and looked over the fallen creature to find the tank spouting fire and smoke as it exploded. Behind the tank there was a smoke trail that lead to a Marine on the opposite end of the plateau who clutched a tube like weapon.

Several other Marines fired and hit the Lakadors, causing them to fall back. Hunter, having gone with the other Marine group instead, was also with them.

_"Alpha, this is Theta! We've got this area, move on to the Objective!"_

"Copy Theta! Come on Marines, let's go!" Spyro reluctantly got up and with Cynder and Aaron returned to Alpha and they began moving until Wagner stopped them in front of a series of small ravines, canyons and other land masses that lead to the Volcano itself.

"This is it Marines, we stop Fang here and now! We gatta stop him before he awakens the Dark Master! If he does, we may never get out of here! We've got to take this volcano, let's go!" With that the Marine of Alpha headed down a path, and to the fight of their lives.

End of Chapter 9

Spyro and Cynder Sierra Entertainment

Aaron Dragonfreak1112 from

UER Marines Me


	10. Through Another's Eyes

Chapter 10: Through Another's Eyes

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

March 3, 2204

1255 Hours

Lakador HQ, 12 Miles East of the UERNF Achilles' Crash Site

The brisk sunlight hit the hull of the Lakador ship, causing its purple blue hull to light up. A few Lakador fighters patrolled the airspace while another military convoy went out to capture the Human crash site.

A Lakador in silver armor stood atop a rock, his magnifying equipment honed in onto the convoy as it moved out. The Lakador's bright silver armor reflected the sunlight and his purple scales gave off a little reflection as well.

The Lakador frowned at the convoy. They were looking to secure human weapons and possibly human prisoners. There wouldn't be any at the crash site and if there were any, they'd have a military unit there protecting it. The humans obviously would want equipment from their downed ship, but the Lakador convoy bound there was ill equipped to fight if the humans brought airpower and heavy armor which he knew they had and were willing to use.

However, the Lakador leadership was more concerned on finding the human HQ then reinforcing the convoys headed for their downed cruiser. He often questioned the logistics of his leaders… after all; this was an almost pointless war.

Apparently Humanity and Lakadors had made contact sometime in the past several years ago and it wasn't as friendly as this one. However, that time was several thousand to millions of years ago. There was no telling what happened that time around. However, this time, the Lakador leadership wanted to make sure no human was allowed to raise a finger against them.

Even when the Human ship that they made contact tried to resolve things peacefully they opened fire, destroying it. Obviously they'd attack back in force. Hell, the Lakador leadership was very surprised at the human response, which was very overwhelming. Finally they tracked them back to a Human base world, which they referred to as Sirus 12.

A follow up attack on a small vessel in system revealed a few more worlds to them, which they assaulted as well. This drew their attention away from Sirus and the Humans abandoned it to focus efforts on the other worlds. The reasons are obvious, the worlds had more resources.

To him, this war was nothing more then a horrible act of genocide masked as a preventive war. Sure, they took prisoners and transported masses of human civilians to work camps and what not, but many times they just shot first and asked questions later.

What surprised him though, was that some humans were taken to a sort of camp. It wasn't a slave camp, or even a concentration camp, it was… well hell he wasn't sure himself. There were rumors circulating around that these humans being taken there- no more then 6 years of age- were being trained to be integrated into their society and even trained to act as spies and combatants to work against the Human military. The thought of it made his stomach churn but there wasn't much he could do about it. At least it was better then watching hundreds of them being rounded up and gunned down in cold blood.

This Lakador had seen his fair share of this during his role on Sirus. His group was attacking the major civilian area referred to as 'Cape Downing' by the humans. They took it, and killed almost everyone there. He had objected to the act, but his superiors dismissed him and almost tried him for treason as a result of it. They expected him to be a cold blooded killer, but he killed in defense of his people, not to just rid the world of a 'pest' that so plagued his leaders.

They were obviously waging this war for more reasons then they were telling, and there was much unrest in the Lakador community about this. However, those who spoke out were usually killed on the spot, jailed or just ignored. It was a horrible thing but was something he lived with everyday. He hated it, but sometimes it was necessary.

The one thing that he wondered though was why they wanted to rid the universe of humanity anyway? They weren't out to destroy them, they were peaceful space faring creatures as far as he was concerned, however their weapons were powerful and frightened many Lakadors. One good example was their Nuclear Weapon. It could decimate anything within 20 miles and its radiation could kill or severally injure anything within 30 miles. It was a horrible thing to fight against. Maybe that's the fear his leadership had- that they'd use their weapons of mass destruction and wipe them out. They did have enough firepower to do it, they just needed a motive.

Well he just had to accept it; they were dangerous in a way. Maybe they were better off without humanity being around. Either way, he had to go with his leaders, lest he be shot on the spot.

However, the other question on his mind was the cold acts committed against the local creatures of this planet. The Lakadors had always been interested in locating new species and cataloging them, researching them, and if possible, converse with them. However, from what he had seen last night, Lakador patrols had attacked villages of sentient beings and didn't discriminate between Human military units and peaceful tribes of creatures.

Sure, some of them had sided with the Humans, but only because the Lakadors had pulled the trigger first. This was by no means an act justified by the war, it was just flat out cold blood. There was more to this war then he knew, but it was just too dangerous to ask.

"Yahade', sightseeing now is it?" A new Lakador walked up behind the Lakador as he searched his thoughts.

"Just watching the convoy head out…" He replied.

"Bah… humans… they're probably going to destroy that convoy… but Huvunes won't hear it."

"He's too concerned with his outlook then he is about his forces…" Yahade' said as he watched the convoy disappear into the distance.

"Well at least some humans will die… that's all I care about… those filth… I can't believe we hadn't launched this war years ago. What do you think Yahade'?"

"Whether we wage it now or then, it's happening now Sondohwa." Yahade' as he turned to face the young Lakador. The Lakador gave a low huff.

"Well the sooner the better… when're we moving out?"

"I am not sure, they aren't telling me much. Human forces are massing in the forests several miles to the west and they seem to be regrouping. Where, we don't know."

"Well all this down time is killing me… I want to just get this over with…" The Lakador snarled as he flexed his claws.

"Calm yourself… patience is a warrior's greatest virtue… the battle will come… in time."

"Whatever." He simply replied, turning to leave. He walked down a small rocky footpath that lead to their campsite. Being up atop a small mesa, the small rocky footpath was the only way up and down. That was the way he liked it. As commander of this particular unit, he had to keep watch of his unit and who came and went from his command tent.

As he sat and looked at the tents below, he saw another figure climbing up his mesa to his command tent. The way his armor was configured, he was a commander of higher stature then he. More then likely it was his superior Orantaus. Yahade' stood up and bowed as the superior officer walked up the mesa.

"Greetings Yahade' enjoying the view are we?" He asked as he returned the respective bow.

"Just about."

"I'm sure you've heard of the human movement to the west."

"Yes, I have."

"Well it seems that the other human ship that survived our assault has put down several miles down to the west and is moving from place to place, so it's hard to get an accurate positioning on it. Our own ship is temporarily out of commission and we are tracking a number of human units moving to a particular location." The officer said as he set a foot atop a small rock and looked out to the convoy which was a speck by now.

"Where would that be?" Yahade' inquired.

"Well our forward recon units encountered a number of humans moving with new species down to a valley to the far west. These human units were concentrated and well organized, which points towards high levels of leadership being present. Our recon team was destroyed but survivors speak of them moving down an underground foot path. We've tracked the footpath to a major civilian settlement to the east of that area."

"Are we going to attack it?"

"Not at this moment. However, we have a target which seems to hold a high strategic importance."

"What would that be?" Orantaus pointed out to a volcano in the far distance. It spewed a bit of lava into the sky but was otherwise pretty calm. If it weren't for the black clouds overhead and red lava spewing from it, he'd mistake it for a normal mountain.

"We're detecting more then just volcanic and seismic activity from that mountain. There is an awful large amount of dark energy spewing from within that mountain. We're going to find out just what is creating that large amount of dark energy. If we can harvest that source, the repairs to our ship will quickly speed up and we can use it for other applications…"

"Very well, when do you want us to set out?"

"In about a quarter. We're still trying to sort out how we're going to go about waging this battle, but rest assured, your unit will be departing shortly. See to your men." With that the officer headed down the path and left Yahade' to his thoughts as he looked out over to the volcano before setting off to address his men.

Meanwhile…

1633 Hours

Hills outside of Underground Passage Leading to Warfang.

"We could swim across…"

"Forget that… I'd rather walk."

"On what? It's all water!"

"Quit your yappin and get focused!"

Corporal Thomas Anderson sat in the grass that overlooked their objective. Their objective- the _Achilles'_ crash site. Since Warfang fell under attack and they were spearheading that massive assault on the volcano, Dyke wanted them to get as many munitions, tanks, supplies, food and whatever they could scrounge from the crash site. However, the crash site was across a massive body of water… about the size of a quarter mile to about a mile.

The crash site was on the opposite side of Warfang then their drop zone. When they talked to the 'dragon guardians' about this, they said there was an ancient underground passage that lead directly to where they wanted to go. Well they followed it and now had to figure out how to get passed this massive body of water.

As Anderson looked across he noted the other soldiers next to him. They weren't Marines like everyone else, they were HACOs. The difference between an HACO and a regular Marine were simple. One didn't go on dangerous missions and the other did.

HACOs were built to go on covert missions and were battle ready. Back on Sirus, Anderson's group took out several Lakador targets, paving the way for Marine assaults.

Now their mission was to secure the crash site so members from the 113th Marine Division could move in and start moving equipment and other items from the site and to the UERAF base in Warfang.

The first challenge was, getting across the mile long river.

2 Hours later

Anderson sat on the ground, waiting for his squad leader to give the order. They had successfully crossed the river and were sitting a few dozen yards from a Lakador position that was sitting guard over the crash site.

They'd have to clear the area so the Marine regulars could storm the ship and get the supplies out. That sounded easy, but Anderson knew nothing was too easy.

As the squad leader got into position he moved his hands to indicate the use of silenced weapons. Anderson saw this, grabbed his M10 SMG and slipped a sound suppresser to the end of the barrel. He placed the butt of the weapon against his shoulder and awaited his commander's orders. The soldier didn't have to wait long, he soon heard the silent words slip his Sergeant's mouth: "Top the bastards."

A few coughs were audible as they fired their weapons and Lakadors fell to the ground, heavy .40 caliber ammo hitting them. Even with their armor, the fast moving slugs cracked the silver armor and passed right through.

Several Lakadors caught sight of this but didn't know just where they were being attack from or just by what. Many Lakadors still hadn't come to realize that the Marines could suppress their weapon's flashes and sound. A few clips later and the guard post they were overlooking was silenced.

They moved silently, passing the guard post and making their way to a piece of shattered hull that lead into the _Achilles._ All they had to do was pave a way for the drop ships and Marines would storm the ship to allow engineers to remove anything important that could help bolster the defense of Warfang.

As they sat near the opening, a few more Lakadors came into view. If they took them out, then the landing zone would be secured.

With the Sergeant's orders, more coughs were heard and Lakadors fell left and right, still unable to locate the source of the Human opposition.

After the landing zone was secure, they held position and a few Nighthawks flew in and deployed regular Marines which stormed the ship. An hour later, they had a convoy waiting to get back across the river. As they neared the banks, the Ice Guardian Cyril flew down with a flock of ice dragons behind him.

The idea proposed by Cyril was to freeze large amounts of water to create barges which they could load supplies on and then have them pulled back to the other side where they'd move them via the tunnel back to Warfang. Now it was just time for them to test whether that plan worked or not.

Anderson sat near the banks, waiting for the ice barge to be finished. After Cyril and a few other ice dragons finished, 4 tanks and 12 HACOs loaded that barge and Anderson followed suit. The ice was slippery, which wasn't surprising. However, with a little effort, Anderson kept his footing and felt the ice lurch as 2 ice dragons grabbed a hold of it via ropes that they had gotten from the Achilles and tied to the ice. They pulled it and flapped their wings, creating propulsion.

After a few seconds, they were underway, as were a few other barges with tanks and Marines down the banks. Anderson shifted a bit and placed the M10 SMG over his shoulder, watching the supporting Nighthawks fly overhead with the dragons and other barges going in the river. The scene was calm and peaceful, the sun shining upon the fleet of ice barges with tanks and other vehicles on them.

The silence didn't last forever.

"Contacts, 9 'o clock high!" One of the Marines called out on his barge. He looked up and surely enough, saw several Wyverns flying in the distance towards them.

Anderson's HACO helmet had a HUD which drew small markers and labeled each new target which had appeared. Anderson raised his SMG and aimed it at them. He pulled down on the trigger and saw tracers fly from his and about a hundred other rifles as they flew up at the targets.

Two Nighthawks flew in the air, firing their machine guns and downing the Wyverns rather quickly. However more were on the way and soon targets were plastered all over Anderson's HUD. He had never seen so many airborne contacts before, this was going to be a challenge.

He switched to his high powered semi-automatic M23A rifle and fired off single shots at the Wyverns. They were so far off though that his 2X scope didn't aid his aim much but the combined firepower coming from every Marine and even some .50 caliber machine guns on the tanks brought them down quickly.

Finally, they reached the opposite end of the river and started the process of loading them into the tunnel. It wasn't long before every Marine, tank, jeep, APC and other vehicles were inside the tunnel and moving back to Warfang. The mission was a complete success.

Meanwhile…

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

March 3, 2204

1934 Hours

UER Assault Force, Marine Drop Zone

"Move, move, move!"

"Get moving Private!"

"Multiple contacts, along those rocks!"

"Get the .50 cal, right here!"

"C'mon, let's move out!"

The Marine landing zone was in utter chaos. The Lakadors they had encountered fell quickly but more came, along with several more Orcs and Grublins. It was a three-pronged battle being waged and the Marines were still trying to leave the landing zone.

Nighthawks and Sparrowhawks flew overhead, pelting the ground in machine gun fire. Raptors and heavy Raven fighters screamed overhead, large bombs flying from their bays and detonating in masses of enemy troops.

Marines dashed behind cover and firefights erupted all along the plateau. Hand to hand combat, melee fights, and even sword versus bayonet fights were common place and the stalemate wasn't broken until a Raptor flew overhead and detonated a scatter bomb over the masses of hostiles moving forward.

Finally the Marines dropped off troops and Nighthawks and Sparrowhawks dropped off numerous reinforcements and tanks rolled from their pads and jeeps sprang to life. Several Marine units pushed forward and the sky hummed with the sounds of jet engines.

"Go, move it soldiers!" A Sergeant bellowed as the Marines ran down a path. The sounds of M74D reports echoed through the area and tracers danced across the area as Grublins and Orcs hopped from their positions and engaged the Marines.

A Marine ran down the volcanic path with his buddies, firing his M74D from his hip. He finally came to a halt behind a fallen pillar and sprayed an Orc with gunfire before it roared and toppled over.

"Good work Marine!" One of the other soldiers said. The soldier glared at him and looked at the Orc.

"I'm not a Marine…" He said silently before dropping his magazine and looking forward. It was true, he wasn't a Marine. He was a United Earth Republic Army Infantrymen. It was an entirely different branch of the armed forces. Regardless, he fought alongside them.

At Sirus, his Platoon had been whipped out while helping to defend the civilians with Delta Company. Delta led them to the _Achilles_ where they came here. Due to the loss of his unit, he had been folded along with his other Army comrades into Delta Company.

"Hey, Lorain, how you holding up?" Lorain looked to his side to see his friend Webster walk up. The soldier held onto an M78C Carbine and scanned the area for more hostiles as the unit started to move forward again. Lorain sighed.

"Just fine Web, c'mon, we've got to get moving." With that the two soldiers ran with the other Army Ground Infantrymen and Marines moving forward. The lava scorched lands spewed molten earth upon the Marines as they pushed down a hardened footpath that was suspended over the lava.

Lorain trudged behind them, replacing his iron sightings that were affixed to his weapon with a laser reflex sighting. He flipped a switched and confirmed the device worked, aligning it to his desired targets… once they appeared.

As he kept going, he noted the dragons and Nighthawks flying overhead, spraying the hostiles below with gunfire and a variety of elemental attacks. The Nighthawks above bored a different design then the ones he was used to. These Nighthawks were the 'D' Class. They had a troop bay like the 'C', which to this point had been the more commonly used version, but unlike the C, its troop bay opening was not in the back, but on the right and left sides. It was like a traditional helicopter troop bay design with an extended portion that ran in the back. It also had a tail that was much more bulky and had two rudders in the rear, like the C. This version was a replacement that had been dispatched at Sirus but was now just making battlefield appearances.

With the Nighthawks, Raptors and Ravens screeched above, bombs falling from them and exploding off in the distance somewhere. Missiles streaked from missile pods and flew overhead, leaving ominous smoke trails and their engine lights mixed with the glow from the lava that was just below in the rivers of molten sludge.

The path they were crossing was essentially a bridge that crossed an open river of molten lava. Rocks tumbled from their roosts and fell into the molten slag, creating huge plumes of smoke as they did so.

Lorain coughed as a few fumes came to his nostrils and he covered his mouth with his arm and continued behind the Marines of Delta Company. Across from them he saw another bridge like theirs but on it there was a group of tanks rolling across with Marines from Epsilon and Theta.

As they reached the opposite end they had to cross what seemed like a maze of collapsed and burning hulks of what used to be a forest of some sort. Rocks came out of the ground, creating an insane obstacle course.

"Damn it, this place sucks!" One of the Marines declared and did a roll over one of them. A few Army GIs to Lorain's left tried to do the same and one almost ripped his uniform on a jagged rock jutting out from the ground. As they tried to cross the insane obstacle course, they spotted several Lakadors making a run for an area across from them in similarly designed rock patterns. One of them screeched and pointed at the Humans.

"Contacts!" An Army GI said as he almost fumbled with his rifle and did a roll to get behind one of the rocks as dark energy flew at them. A pair of Marines caught the black orbs and fell over backwards as the energy discharged across their armor and burned through it.

Lorain did a similar roll and slapped his back against a series of jagged rocks. He kept his head low as he heard the whizzing sound of projectiles passing overhead. He raised his rifle up, while keeping his head in cover and sprayed a burst of gunfire over his cover in a desperate attempt to get gunfire on them without getting hit.

After his gun ceased fire he retracted it, placed another clip in it just before raising himself up and slapping the butt of the weapon against his shoulder. He aimed using the laser reflex sights and fired off another burst, watching the plumes erupt from the rocks across from them as his bullets hit the area. Lakadors screeched and returned fire, a few succumbing to the gunfire coming from the Marines.

A few grenades tossed by the Lakadors detonated in the mass of Marines, lightning and other elements being discharge from them and Marines toppled, screaming as the energy coursed through them. Lorain had to jump from his position to avoid a grenade, narrowly avoiding a dismal fate. As he landed, his friend Webster grabbed him and dragged him to a safer spot where both the GIs reloaded their weapons.

To retaliate the Lakador use of grenades, the Marines answered with their own grenades, which were seen flying through the air and landed near Lakador positions. The grenades exploded, lethal shrapnel from the grenades shredding the Lakadors and getting loud screeches of pain and horror.

The last Lakadors got up and retreated from their positions. A few Marines fired short semi-automatic bursts from their rifles to help finish off what Lakadors they could.

More Raptors and Dragons flew overhead, attacks and missiles raining down upon the enemy forces.

Lorain looked up and saw the volcano, less then a mile from them, spewing ash and volcanic matter into the air. They were close. It was now or never, all the Marines had to do was stop this 'Fang' and the war could end here.

A scream broke Lorain from his thoughts and he looked over and saw a large black creature adorned in a black armor standing, a sword plowed right through a Marine that it held by the neck. A few more dashed up and deployed shields. Their right arms carried swords and a few had what looked like a cannon for an arm.

The Marines opened fire immediately, bullets pinging off of the creatures bit to little effect. Finally after a good 20 found burst a creature buckled and then fell to its knees before exploding in a haze of dark energy.

The others roared out and one fired its cannon-like arm. A huge sphere of dark energy flew at a pain of Marines and sent them skyward as the energy detonated. A few Marines took cover and these new creatures roared in approval. A black dragon with silver armor flew overhead, grabbing onto an ice dragon that flew overhead. The black dragon bit the neck of the ice dragon and sent it into the lava. It blew a black flame into the sky before flying down and landing nearby.

Lorain immediately fired his rifle at it, as did the other Marines who weren't already preoccupied with the other creatures.

"Fools! You shall all perish! My Master has ordered it… so it shall happen!" Lorain saw him charge up a beam of energy and he fired it directly at _his_ position. He felt himself being lifted into the air and he screamed aloud as he was sent airborne and skidded to a halt. His vision was blurry, as was the audio that filtered in through his ears. He tried to make a grab for his rifle but time seemed slow to him. He saw Webster, clutching a wound on his arm, grab a hold of him and try to drag him to safety once more. The dragon flew nearby and laughed some sort of insult.

Lorain blacked out.

End of Chapter 10


	11. Into the Heart of it All

Chapter 11: Into the Heart of it All

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

March 3, 2204

1955 Hours

Alpha Company's Approach to the Objective

"Cynder look out!" Spyro said as he knocked her away from a sword strike. The Orc in question roared and came again, Spyro managed to catch it on his horn and shook the creature off. Cynder rolled over in the scorched soil and snarled as she launched herself at the Orc to aid Spyro. She flicked her tail and knocked the creature into the dirt before Allison put a burst into the creature's head.

Wagner kicked a Grublin before sticking his bayonet in it and then following it up with a short burst from his rifle at an approaching Orc. Aaron finished an attack which incorporated himself being shrouded in spikes and smashing through several Orcs. An Orc roared and kicked Aaron aside and he skidded to a halt next to Cynder before picking himself up.

Spyro winced a bit, the wounds on his arm and neck sending spikes of pain through him once more. Allison grunted as a Grublin tried to hit her with a sword but thankfully one of the Marines with them put a 6 round burst through it, blowing it away.

"C'mon, we're almost there! Just a bit further!" Wagner yelled.

"Why can't we just get airlifted there?!" One of the soldiers, Cpl. Henderson, asked.

"They have some artillery that's keeping our birds at bay, we can send them in, but Dyke wants us to move on foot to keep casualties to a minimum!" Wagner said in response.

As he said this, the Company of Marines started to move once more. They arrived at a ledge that overlooked a path below. The path ran parallel to a river of lava that ran through that area. On the opposite bank there was another path, with several catapults launching projectiles at the oncoming assault.

On their side of the bank on the lower path there was a convoy of tanks moving with several Marine and Cheetah escorts. The Marines fired their rifles and the tanks fired their cannons. The cheetahs, carrying swords, couldn't do much more then sit and watch.

The tanks blew apart the catapults and two Raptors screeched ahead. A Nighthawk flew in the distance, firing its machine gun at targets they couldn't see. A few distant puffs of smoke dotted the sky and the black clouds generated by the volcano added to the 'desperate' feel to the scene.

The Marines pushed forward, going along the ridge that overlooked the tank convoy moving below. Above, a few dragons soared, blanketing the area beneath with elemental attacks. Some were engaged in massive dog fights with Wyverns that flew overhead to help halt the air attack. Raptors, Nighthawks and Sparrowhawks buzzed overhead, helping the dragons fend off the wyverns.

Missiles streaked over the assault group, bound for targets that they couldn't see. The sky was an intricate network of projectiles that blew through the already chaotic situation. Dragons bit Wyverns and Raptors did barrel rolls as they released bombs which spread across the enemy forces.

Spyro ran down the rocky burnt path with the others, trying to get to the volcano. The tanks below on the other path were engaged by another group of Lakadors on the opposite banks. The volcano was luring ever closer as Alpha moved down the path.

"Sergeant Malarkey, cover the rear, Lieutenant Ender, keep your platoon close!" Wagner ordered as they ran atop the area. The path would lead them straight to the volcano, which was less then a mile away. The terrain was getting increasingly rocky with spires of huge rocks jutting from the lava and looming over them.

"Spyro, you think we can get there in time?" Cynder asked as she ran with the rest, watching the volcano's slopes get ever closer.

"I don't know… but we have to hurry…" He said. Aaron nodded, as did Allison and Wagner who were next to them.

Meanwhile…

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

March 3, 2204

2002 Hours

Burned Lands, near the Objective

A pair of eyes watched the group of humans and dragons advance upon the volcano. The creature in which the eyes belonged to sat entrenched inside of a small out grove of rocks, watching them. The white and gold dragon sat entranced by the group of creatures.

Small pieces of ash landed upon his scales but he paid them no mind, he had to keep concealed.

For as long as he could remember, humans had always hunted him… be them from the Republic of Krypton or some other stray human group, they had always hunted him... for he was the last Draxy.

His name was Krypto, and he was the last of his kind. The Draxys were once a proud race of draconic beings which had dominated their home world… until recent years. The appearance of the Emperor had changed everything and now he was the only one left. Between assaults from the Emperor and humans, he was hard pressed just to keep alive.

He wasn't even sure how he got here. He was flying and the next thing he knew this planet came into focus and he was there… in this mysterious forest with Humans and smaller Draxys all about.

The draconic beings he watched looked like Draxys… but their anatomy was different and some features were different from that of an average Draxy. What were they?

However it wasn't the draconic creatures that concerned him the most, it was the group of Humans moving with them. They closely resembled that of the Kryptonians… their stench was similar and what irritated him the most was the fact that there were several of them and they were all well armed.

Each carried a rifle with several extra clips of ammo and other things that looked like weapons. He glared at them. He had to wait for the perfect moment to strike… to get them in the best way possible… all he had to do now was wait…

He saw them pass right under where he was and leapt from his position. He landed nearby and roared a huge roar to them. He took the humans and draconian beings completely by surprise. None of them attacked. In fact, they looked sort of confused.

Krypto made an immediate grab for one of the Humans and noticed that he dashed out of the way. He made another swipe and noted that on the soldier's helmet, there was a small silver rectangle. He hit the soldier and he was knocked onto the ground. The other soldiers went in uproar and pointed their rifles at Krypto. The draconian beings were startled and they all began to speak English, a form of the Kryptonian Language. English and Italian were the two root languages that formed the Kryptonian one… so he had a little difficulty understanding it. However he tried as hard as he could.

The two small 'Draxys' spoke to him, their words forming a mood of utter outrage and confusion. He remembered them from before, the purple and black ones being the same two he had encountered upon his visit to another region of the area. He searched his mind for the right translations and finally realized just what they were saying.

…

The Marine group pushed inward, moving fast as they made their way deeper and deeper into the volcanic lands. Soon they would be ready to make it into the volcano. As they passed underneath a rocky out grove, a huge white and gold dragon flew from a roost atop and landed just ahead of them. It let out a huge roar of defiance which blasted through their ears.

"Ah damn, friend of yours?" One of the soldiers- Henderson- asked.

"No… we've never met." Spyro said.

"Spyro, isn't that the dragon that helped us before in the Valley of Avalar?" Cynder asked, turning to Spyro.

"Hey, yeah, it is." He said. Aaron looked at them both funny.

"Who is this guy?" Aaron asked.

"Beats me." Cynder said with an almost huff.

The dragon let out another roar before making a swipe at Wagner. Wager avoided and was stunned.

"What the hell, who's side is he on?!" Wagner proclaimed before the dragon made yet another swipe which knocked him onto the ground. The other Marines were thrown into a state of confusion and rifle barrels pointed this way and that, trying to orient themselves upon a target.

"What the hell are you doing?! They're with us!" Cynder said as she saw this happened. She wouldn't have thought this dragon would be against them and with Fang since he had helped them prior to this. The question Henderson asked came again, "Who's side is he on?!"

The dragon looked at them, as if trying to comprehend their statement. Spyro and Cynder both looked at him in distress and Wagner slowly picked himself off of the ground. The dragon glared at the humans, cleared his throat and it sounded as if he was speaking a language for the first time.

"The Humans… I know them… they are not to be trusted…"

"The Humans aren't evil, they're really good!" Cynder said as she looked the dragon over.

"They've attacked me… enslaved me… and done horrible things to me…" They looked at Wagner who had a puzzled look on his face.

"Until now the United Earth Republic has never encountered dragons on any other colony worlds. If it did happen, we'd have been notified for military deployment or it was probably loose bandit groups operating outside of the UER." Wagner said as he pondered the dragon's words.

"Yeah, like those Kryptonian bastards…" One of the Marines said.

"You know of the Kryptonians?" The big white and gold dragon asked.

"The Kryptonians were once part of the Human colonizing groups, but during the war for unification, they were one of the warring factions against the forming UER." Wagner said. A column of lava launched out of the river of molten rock nearby, momentarily attracting their attention.

"After the United Earth Republic gained power, they fled to their world Krypto. It's been almost 100 years since then and we have been fighting a small war against them." Wagner explained.

The dragon looked at them with a still lasting look of distrust. Wagner frowned.

"So… who are you?" Spyro asked.

"I am Krypto, the last Draxy."

"Draxys?"

"Yes, we are a race of beings with incredible power… well… we were… until the days of the Emperor… He was the one responsible for the extinction of my species... I was traveling when next thing I knew, I was here."

"Well that sucks…" Aaron commented.

"And Kryptonians weren't any better… they hunted me down… tried to enslave and kill me…"

"Well I assure you, we are nothing like them." Wagner said.

"I am ally to my draconic friends." Krypto boar his teeth and glared at the Marine Officer.

"Not to some pink race of humans…" Wagner returned the glare.

"Hey you guys, cool it! We have our own problems to deal with, remember?!" Cynder said as she ran in-between them.

"We'd better get moving, we have to catch Fang…" Wagner said as he turned to go back down the path. The rest quickly followed and Krypto hesitantly took to the sky, keeping himself above them.

They went until their path abruptly ended before a river of molten lava that sat just before the slope on the Volcano. They were at the foot of their objective.

"How the hell are we supposed to get inside?!" A Marine asked.

"You don't, I am." An all too familiar voice filled their ears and they looked up to see none other then Fang flying down to them. The Marines immediately filled the air with assault rifle rounds, tracers dancing up towards the dragon.

Fang roared and flew downwards, in an attempt to dodge their shots.

"Your efforts are useless! I've already won!" Fang fired a beam of darkness as the slope to the volcano, causing it to collapse and reveal a huge cavern leading inside. The cavern's floor was filled with lava and huge stalactites and stalagmites filled the cavern as they protruded from both the lava and the roof.

Fang laughed as he flew into the cavern.

"Damn it!" 'Wagner said as he fired off a few rounds at him.

"Great, what the hell do we do now?! A Marine asked.

"We'll deal with him!" Spyro said as he took flight. Aaron and Cynder did the same and Krypto followed them into the molten cavern.

_"Lieutenant Wagner, this is Delta 7-2-2, we'll take you the rest of the way."_

Wagner looked up and saw a Nighthawk D class fly down, its side openings coming undone for them to get aboard.

"Alright, 3rd squad on me, we're going in! The rest of you, hold position and help the assault forces deal with anything major!" Wagner said as he walked up onto the Nighthawk. The other members of 3rd squad, including Allison, got aboard as well. The Nighthawk flew up and dashed after the group of Dragons locked into their chase.

As Spyro flew, ash and splotches of lava flew up from the molten river below. They touched his scales and burned right through them, leaving small burn marks. Spyro roared aloud, as did Cynder and Aaron as they befell the same fate. Krypto, being larger, was unaffected by the lava.

The Nighthawk flew beside them and Wagner stood at the left opening.

"Spyro, get in here before that lava burns right through you!" He yelled. He, as well as Cynder and Aaron flew into the troop bay and with the help of the other Marines successfully landed inside.

Spyro dashed into the cockpit where he saw Krypto flying beside them and Fang flying just ahead.

"Shoot him down!" Wagner yelled as he ran inside the cockpit as well.

"Copy!" The co-pilot said before pressing down on a pair of triggers.

Two .50 caliber machine guns mounted on the sides of the nose immediately came to life, rounds screaming from them and tracers filling up the cavern as they flew at Fang.

The Nighthawk and Krypto flew through the cavern, fireballs and tracers being fired at Fang. As they flew on, Fang took a heavy armor piercing round through his wing skin and roared in pain. He turned his head and saw the culprit. He snarled and instead of firing upon them, fired a beam of darkness at the roof of the cavern.

The cavern rumbled and the tall stalactites above cracked and fell downwards.

One scrapped the side of the Nighthawk and threw them off, the guns falling silent as the pilots tried to realign the craft.

"Crap, hang on!"

"Damn it, this is crazy!" A Marine yelled.

"Keep on him!" Wagner ordered.

The Nighthawk swerved and speed along as the cavern roof began to fall around them. Krypto smashed his way through the falling debris while the Nighthawk flew around and dodged the falling rocks. Fang flew on, unopposed. He flew through an opening in the opposite side of the cavern and vanished from sight.

The Nighthawk and Krypto speed on, Krypto flying through the hole and a rock smashing into the Nighthawk, sending it down. However the Nighthawk passed through the hole and came into a large room with a large purple crystal sitting in the center. The Nighthawk skidded to a halt on the purple gemstone while Krypto landed safely nearby.

The Marines, Spyro, Cynder and Aaron emerged from the troop bay and snarled as they saw Fang sitting on his haunches across from them, smiling.

"Well, well, well… I see now why Malefor was so interested in you Spyro… and proud of you Cynder… you were one of his greatest servants…as were you to… Aaron…"

"Shut up! Those days are over!" Aaron said and Cynder looked down at the ground. Spyro turned to her and placed a paw on her shoulder before glaring at Fang.

"This ends now Fang… the Dark Master will remain here…" Spyro said as he looked at Fang. Fang laughed.

"Why you are mistaken, this is just the beginning of his new rule here!"

"We'll see about that!" Spyro said as he dashed madly forward, attempting to strike at Fang. Fang snarled and smacked the purple dragon aside.

"It is a pity that you didn't turn out like the Dark Master… the purple dragons are destined to rule this world! And this is the best way to do it!"

Spyro got up and coughed a bit. Cynder ran over to his side and Aaron and Krypto dashed forward to aid. The Marines came in behind, their assault rifles pointed at Fang.

"Oh how cute… you all think you can stop me…" Fang said as he glared at them.

"We've… we've come to far… to give up… too many have died… the Dark Master… can never return…" Spyro said as he picked himself up and glared at Fang.

"Spyro, no, you're injured, let us handle him!" Cynder said as she clutched onto his arm.

"Cynder… we have to end this… for Ignitus…"

Cynder looked at him sadly and the Marines continued to point their rifles at Fang.

"This is getting annoying…" Fang said right before he unleashed a wave of darkness, sweeping the Marines off of their feet and sending them into the ground skidding.

"You still have no idea what is going on, do you Spyro? Why you're here… why the Dark Master was here… why even these humans are here… they're all part of it…" Fang said as he strolled by the injured purple dragon.

"Part of what?!" Spyro said, bearing his teeth. Fang gave a huff.

"The Final Solution…" Fang said finally, a smile creeping onto his face.

"The… what?" Cynder said, standing by Spyro's side.

"Fang, stand down!" A new voice penetrated the walls of the cavern and they looked about to see a passage leading into the molten mountain revealing itself, a dragon and human standing in the cave entrance.

"Karson?!" Allison asked as she picked herself up with the aid of her rifle.

"Allison!" Karson called out in joy. Before he could leap off onto the purple crystal, the dragon held out his paw to stop him.

"Ah… you must be… Diablo? I've heard so much about you…" Fang said with a sneer on his face.

"Yes… and I've seen much of you…" Diablo said with a look of disappointment.

"Seen what, my path to following my master?!"

"You had so much potential! But you threw it away following that dragon… Malefor…"

"The only potential I had was in serving my master, and that's what I'll do!" Fang grabbed Spyro and Spyro glowed a purple white.

"No! What're you doing!" Cynder said as she leapt at Fang and grabbed his arm, only to be tossed aside. Spyro dimmed and fell to the floor as Fang released him, a crystal now replacing him in his grasp.

"With this crystal Malefor shall be reborn!" Fang said before he took flight to the center of the crystal.

"No! Stop him!" Wagner called out. The Marines fired their rifles and bullets struck Fang. He roared in pain and blood shot out of his wounds but he flew onward.

Krypto and Aaron dashed in front of him and breathed their attacks onto him. Darkness escaped Aaron's maw and fire jetted from Krypto's. They struck Fang and he roared in pain once more.

"Get out of my way you filth! My master is going to return!" Fang called out as he smacked them aside. They both skidded in opposite directions, hitting Marines and causing them to fall over as they continued to fire at Fang.

Fang reached the center of the large purple gem and placed the crystal in the center. It glowed and hovered, getting a evil smile from him. The crystal lit up and the gemstone beneath started to glow a soft purple.

"No!" Spyro called out.

"You all lose!" Just as Fang said this, jets of fire and ice collided onto the crystal, shattering it to pieces. The gemstone below slowly lost its glow and returned to its original state.

"No!" Fang called out. He turned to find the dragon's responsible but was surprised to see that the points of origin were not of draconic origin. In fact, the attacks had come from none other then Karson and Allison.

The two Marines stood dumbfounded as smoke slowly trailed from Karson's hands and bits of frost escaped Allison's. They stared at the dragon and he snarled at them.

"What the hell man?!" A Marine called out.

"Ok, I know this world is screwed up, but now Karson's blowing fire out of his freaking hands! What the hell!" Another said.

"Shut the hell up Henderson!" A Sergeant hissed.

"What… what was that?!" Karson finally said. Diablo only smiled.

"It is… you're true ability."

"What?!"

"You… Allison… you are both Chosen Ones."

"What?! But… no… we're just Marines!"

"Yeah, just Marines!" Allison said while looking at her hands.

"That just happened to be born on the same day, in the same area, can unlock doors made by Spirit Dragons, and happened to come to this world at this very moment." This only stirred more confusion into the crowd.

"What are you talking about! Chosen Ones are only in movies! And even at that, they're for saving the world or some crap like that!" Karson while looking at his hands once more.

"Well… you happen to be the messengers of the end… and you are destined to stop it… you are here to stop Malefor from awakening the Final Solution that has been buried under this planet for so long. Something has called it back to the surface and now if Malefor is awakened he can use it." Diablo explained.

"Yes… and with it, ultimate power!" Fang said, while laughing.

"You fool! You'll destroy us all! Even yourself!"

"Not unless you know the right people…" Fang smiled and a figure swooped in from the molten cavern and landed behind Fang. This new figure was a black dragon with an arrow on his head and looked upon them.

"No… you're in league with… him…" Diablo said with a snarl. Fang laughed.

"Yes… I am…" Fang said with a smile. The black dragon behind him laughed.

"Good work Fang… my lord's forces are in the process of smashing this pathetic human and dragon resistance… and once we do… you and the Dark Master will be in position to fire the weapon…" The black dragon said with a sneer.

"What happens if the Final Solution is fired?" Spyro asked, looking up at Diablo.

"The weapon can be fired in one of two modes… in darkness and in light. With its light capacitors damaged, it can only fire in dark mode. If it fires, it will destroy all life in the universe in order to bring about the new Age… it's a last resort weapon in extreme emergencies…"

"And with it, the forces of Darkness shall rule upon the new Age!" Fang called out.

"I won't let that happen!" Spyro said as he shot from his spot and grabbed a hold of Fang. The force of the grab sent them skidding across the gem. The black dragon took flight above them and immediately caught hails of gunfire from the Marines. Krypto sailed up and breathed an attack upon the black dragon, only to entice him to send him back into the gem with a shotgun-like blast of darkness.

Aaron sailed up to meet the black dragon but suddenly stopped in his tracks and fainted, his lack of flight causing him to free fall to the ground. Cynder caught him and set him aside, looking up to see the black dragon smiling as his eyes glowed with a dark aura, its gaze temporarily impairing Aaron.

Cynder growled. She ignored the black dragon as Diablo sailed up to meet him and dashed to Spyro's aid. Spyro rolled to the side, avoiding a tail strike and blew fire onto Fang. Fang roared and smashed his tail into the ground, creating a shock wave which sent Spyro flying. Cynder caught him and set him down before sweeping Fang into the air with a gust of powerful winds.

"You fools, you cannot win!" Fang said. He suddenly roared as ice crystals shattered upon him and white hot jets of fire slammed into his scaled hide.

"We'll see about that!" Karson called out and Allison gave a look of defiance as she stood at the ready behind him. Fang laughed at the new enemies.

"Yes… we shall see…" Fang said before quickly grabbing Spyro, flinging him into the duo and smashing Cynder aside. She quickly recovered, as did the others and they quickly sprang upon Fang. Fang roared, tossing Allison away, only to have Spyro knock him aside and Cynder blast him with shadow. Karson leapt onto his back and heated his hands to an incredible high directly onto Fang's back. Fang roared aloud before shaking him off, smashing Spyro into the ground and kicking Cynder away.

Spyro coughed and looked up, catching a glimpse of the fight erupting above them. The black dragon sailed ahead, shooting beam of darkness at Diablo, only to have him avoid and fire a beam of blue light which hit the dragon and caused him to buck under the pain and pressure. Krypto and Aaron sailed above and aided, their attacks adding the already hellish conditions above. The Marines were almost sitting in the sidelines, though a few _taks_ here and there occurred as they lended their own support in the form of marksmen-like shots.

Wagner sat, almost slumped over a piece of metal that had come off of the Nighthawk and watched. The pilots sat dumbfounded in their seats, watching the spectacle.

"Don't just sit there…" Wagner coughed. "Get this thing operational so we can get the hell out of here!" The pilots quickly came to and started to reactivate the drop ship.

Spyro coughed as he picked himself up. He felt the blood starting to ooze out of the wound on his neck, the sting of the burn wounds and the numbness and extreme pain spiking from the wound taken from the Lakador round. His vision temporarily blurred for a second before he shook it away. He had to defeat Fang. He just had to. He couldn't let Ignitus's sacrifice go in vain. Malefor had to be kept here… he could not… would not be aloud to escape!

Spyro shot himself at Fang, his talons ready to strike. He latched onto the dragon and refused to let go. Fang let out an angry roar.

"That is it! Enough child's games!" He grabbed Spyro's head with his claws, only to follow it up with a strike to the stomach with his razor sharp tail fin. The fin cracked Spyro's chest plates, the cracked portions sinking into his skin and drawing blood. The red blood crept from the wounds and dripped onto the gem below.

Fang then grabbed Cynder with his other paw and both of them began to flow a purple hue. Fang laughed as they dimmed and he tossed them aside, a new crystal forming in his arms. Karson and Allison stepped forth to stop him but they were quickly sent out of the way.

The Marines opened up on him but Fang shielded himself with a black coating and walked to the center. He set the crystal down and it caused the whole room to shake and the gemstone to glow. At once every confrontation silenced and the black dragon kicked Diablo away before smiling.

"My work here is done…" With that he blasted a small hole in the roof of the volcano miles above and sailed up and out of the cavern. Fang laughed an evil laugh as a purple light started to materialize on the gemstone in front of him.

"Enter… the Dark Master…" With that, the evil form of Malefor took shape in front of them and his evil smile engraved itself in the minds of every soldier and dragon in the room.

"Ah… it seems we have more guests… how… interesting…" Malefor stated with a smile. He slowly approached the bloody form of Spyro and the struggling form of Cynder.

.

"How interesting… to see how the mighty have fallen. You're sacrifice has been in vain Spyro… I was wrong about the purple dragons… was our destiny to bring about the Great Cleansing… but now… the Final Solution… I've seen it in my captivity… something that is the answer to all of our problems… and you're going to help me fire it." Malefor said while picking the dragon up.

"No… I won't help you…" Spyro said with a cough.

"That's what you say…" With that, Malefor's eyes glowed a bright yellow and Spyro felt his head get infiltrated by a cold stabbing sensation. He let out a roar as the memory of Fang placing the crystal on him at Warfang returned and he felt his limbs grow numb and his vision blurred.

His scales turned black and his chest a much deeper orange. A black aura enshrouded the dragon and black lightning shot forth from his body. His eyes were pure white, a black light escaping from the edges.

"Spyro… no…" Cynder said as she picked herself up.

"Ah… Cynder… my favorite servant… and Aaron… so nice of you to return to me…" Cynder and Aaron both snarled at him.

"I left because you were evil! I'll never return!" Aaron called out. Cynder merely snarled.

"So you say…" Malefor said with an evil smile. Fang came up to his side and looked upon them with an evil gaze.

"Good work Fang… go deal with 'Krypto' and Aaron. Spyro, deal with Cynder. I'll deal with our newest guests." Malefor instructed. Spyro snarled and shot at Cynder, knocking her away. Krypto and Fang were locked in a battle to gain the upper hand as their for-paws were locked together. Aaron tried to aid, but Fang's tail knocked him into the gemstone once more.

Diablo sat and watched, unable to move as the black dragon did something to him that disabled his movements. He tried to break the snare on his limbs but failed each time. He had to do something. He knew that it was up to the Chosen Ones to resolve the crisis and the purple dragon to restore order, but damn it he couldn't just sit by and watch. Rithul would kill him for this but this was worse then that.

"So… you are… 'Humans'. I'm not impressed." Malefor said as he looked over the Marines who were in so much shock they hadn't fired a shot at him.

"Ah go to hell!" One of them said. Malefor looked onto him with amusement.

"We'll stop you! We'll stop all of you!" Karson said, stepping forward to the beast.

"You think so?" He said to him. Karson bore his teeth.

"You won't be able to stop me… you might as well give up…"

"We won't stop until we're dead!" Karson said as he delivered a fire punch to the purple dragon. Malefor went back a few feet, more from surprise then anything. He snarled and swiped the human away. Allison quickly rolled to the side and shot ice crystals at him, only to get blasted back by his own ice attack. The Marines opened up and Malefor shielded himself against the oncoming bullets. He smiled at them before breaking the shield and unleashing a wave which knocked them all off of their feet.

"That can be arranged…" Malefor said to Karson with a grin.

"Spyro no, don't do this!" Cynder called out as she avoided a claw strike from Spyro. He ignored her and swung his head to use his horns against her. She backed off in time but failed to retaliate. Tears formed in her eyes as she watched Spyro in front of her.

"Spyro… please…" She said. He bore his teeth and swiped once more. He growled angrily as she avoided his strike and grabbed a hold of her neck, squeezing tightly with both paws. She gagged a bit as she sealed her eye lids, trying to break his grip.

"Spyro… you… do this… and all… you've fought for… will be lost… Ignitus would have… died… for no reason…" As she said this, Spyro gave a look of sad awe and released her. He backed up, obviously effected by the statement.

"Spyro… there will always be a reason to fight… and you've got to fight for the right reason… and for the right cause… break his grip… I know you can…" She walked over and set her muzzle against him. She heard a sniffle and the aura faded and gave way to the regular Spyro who's eyes were littered with tears.

"Cynder…" He said before she brought him into a hug. The hug didn't last long. Cynder screamed as a beam of darkness collided into her side and she flew into the ground. Malefor flew over and above her.

"You've been a thorn in my side Cynder… You've always been by my side but now you're growing to be an annoyance!" With that he brought the full force of his claws upon her. The force cracked the crystal and blood shot up from her mouth. Her pupils shrank and the air in her lungs blasted from her mouth as a result of the massive blow.

"Cynder! NO!" Spyro called out. He dashed over to help but Malefor knocked him away. Fang roared happily as he kicked Krypto and Aaron away before flying near Malefor. Malefor grabbed a hold of Cynder's neck and prepared to strike her once more.

However, before he did, he halted as his own blood sprayed onto the ground. He roared and looked to the Nighthawk to see Lieutenant Wagner behind the .30 caliber machine gun positioned in the left side of the drop ship. The machine gun sent armor piercing ammo which cut through Malefor's scales and cut into him. He put up a shield and snarled.

"You will all have to wait… I have a destiny to fulfill… Spyro… you will find your true destiny… just you wait…" Malefor and Fang sailed out of the cavern and to the opening in the volcano above.

As they left, the gemstone beneath them began to crack and lava began to rise. Lava spurted from the cracks in the gemstone and sizzled onto the surface.

"Let's get the hell out of here!" A Marine called out and at once everyone dashed for the Nighthawk. Krypto picked up Aaron and set him inside the troop bay of the human ship and Diablo broke free of his chains and sailed out of the volcano in pursuit of the Dark Master.

The Marines boarded the ship and Spyro slowly limped towards Cynder's fallen form.

"Spyro, we need to leave! Now! This place is falling apart!" Wagner called out from the troop bay. Spyro coughed a bit of blood and fell onto his stomach as he crawled towards Cynder.

The Nighthawk lifted off of the ground and began to leave, as did Krypto who sailed towards the exit. Rocks smashed all around as the entire cavern was falling apart.

"Spyro! Let's GO!!!! NOW!!!" Wagner called out. The purple dragon continued to crawl towards his fallen comrade.

Frustrated, Wagner leapt from the troop bay and did a roll as he hit the gemstone. He leapt from side to side as lava shot out of cracks and he sprinted towards the two dragons.

"Wagner you idiot! You'll be killed!" Allison yelled out. The human office leapt over a huge seem which came into formation as the gemstone split in half. He rolled as he hit the ground and picked himself up. He went over, picked Spyro up off the ground and led him to Cynder. He slowly picked up the black dragoness and stumbled a bit. Though dragon's were light, needing to be to accomplish flight, she was still heavy and Wagner had to readjust his footing to hold onto her. He started to run, Spyro crawling behind him. He stopped, saw this, and grunted as he grabbed Spyro's paw and helped him stand back up.

The drop ship turned around and sailed back at them but a falling rock caused it to back off.

"Damn it!" The pilot said as they used evasive maneuvers and started the drop ship back for the cavern entrance.

Wagner kept running at them but lost his footing and fell onto the ground. Lava shot up all around and Cynder fell from his arms as he hit the ground. Spyro slumped to the ground and tried to pry himself up, but blood oozed from his wounds. Cynder remained still, blood coming from her mouth and wounds.

Wagner suddenly felt himself being lifted as claws grabbed a hold of him. He felt himself being tossed and saw that Krypto had returned, set him upon his back and had used his for-claws to grab Spyro and Cynder. With that safely grabbed, Krypto dashed towards the cavern exit. They went through the lava cavern and the Nighthawk was just ahead.

Falling debris came all around as the entire mountain and ground came apart. They shot out of the mountain as an explosion trailed them and blew apart the side. The mountain caved in and lava shot out from its tip, filling the sky with its hell fire. Krypto and the Nighthawk flew towards the oncoming sunrise as they went off. The bright light guided them to their escape but a laser of darkness shot at them.

The black dragon trailed behind them, trying to shoot them down. However, the black dragon was tackled by a new dragon. Like Diablo, the dragon was purple, but of a lighter color. The dragon was almost pink. Probably a 'she', the dragoness went downwards, taking the black dragon with her. They went down into the smoking burned lands and Spyro only caught a glimpse of it before slipping from consciousness.

End of Chapter 11

Krypto Kryptangel92 from deviantART

Aaron Dragonfreak1112 from deviantART

Spyro, Cynder, Malefor and Ignitus belong to Sierra Entertainment

The Marines, Karson, Allison, and Diablo belong to me


	12. Plan of Attack

Part 4: The Coalition

Chapter 12: Plan of Attack

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

[Error- Unknown Date]

[Unknown Time]

[Unknown Location]

The cool wind whipped across the scales of Spyro. The chilled winds caused him to open his eyes and look around. He lazily yawned and slowly observed his surroundings.

He was on some sort of a rocky platform, suspended in a sunny-like sky. The sky was of a blue mixed with black but still reminded him of the regular sky. The bright sun lit up the area and white fluffy clouds floated on by. Soon the sky began to brighten up into a sort of lightish blue, still retaining its black origins.

The rocky platform he was on sat in the middle of the sky, pieces of rocks and debris floating on by. This place seemed familiar… like when he first met… the Chronicler… Spyro looked around; hoping to hear his voice but nothing came.

Spyro sighed and looked out. There was another island floating off just in the distance. With the flap of his wings Spyro was sent aloft and descended to the new platform. Upon landing he once more looked out. Seeing nothing but the sky and clouds he sighed and walked to the edge. He peered over the rocks and down to what seemed like the Dragon Realms below.

He saw what looked like a large expanse of forests, cities, and mountains, all surrounding a large volcano with that all too familiar silver tower jutting out from it.

Spyro watched as armies fought around the tower, trying to seize it. Suddenly, a large purple dragon… a familiar purple dragon… one that he had met before… not too long ago… flew to the top of the tower and glowed a blackish light.

The tower glowed purple and shot out a beam of the same color into the sky. The sky turned red and the crust of the planet turned red with intense energy. Everyone outside the tower was vaporized and the entire surface of the world below lost any form of life whatsoever.

Horrified, Spyro retreated back onto the platform. Suddenly he felt something assault his mind. It was a dark presence that felt like a spike of cold ice slicing into his skull. Spyro roared out and grabbed his head with his claws, trying to subdue the pain. However, it kept assaulting him. Suddenly a voice started to drone in his head.

"Spyro… why do you fight? Why do you fight destiny?" Spyro didn't answer. Instead, he struggled to keep himself from passing out from the pain.

"It is the purple dragon's destiny to do this…as was it to safe guard its secrets… now its time to unleash its fury upon the world…"

"I… don't know… what you're talking about…" Spyro said in reply. The voice was definitely Malefor's. Spyro had to fight. But… what if he was right? What if it was the purple dragon's destiny to do this? But… wasn't it their destiny to bring about the Great Cleansing? Why so? To 'cleans' the world? From what though? Malefor was its only issue… why would there need to be such an event? Nothing added up for Spyro. He continued to clutch his head tightly.

"This is no longer about the Great Cleansing my young dragon… the purple dragons of yore never knew about this new secret buried beneath the dragon realms… now… we can use it… and wipe out all impurities throughout the cosmos!" Spyro gritted his teeth tightly but felt a blackness flowing over him.

"I… can't… you're going to… destroy everything… I must… fight!" Spyro suddenly felt the presence leave him and his body returned to normal. He looked around, panting. He felt himself again. If he could see his eyes he would have seen that they were golden. However, the color change faded away just as quickly as it had come.

A warm voice filtered through Spyro's head and it sounded familiar. It was a female's.

"Spyro… you and your friends are in great danger. Every living thing is in great danger."

"From what, the Final Solution?"

"Yes… Malefor seeks to use the weapon and destroy all the forces that oppose him so he can rule the world that crawls out of it with an iron fist. If he is allowed to, everybody is doomed."

"But… how did he find out about it? Who is that black dragon helping him? Who is Fang, how come I've never seen or heard of him before?"

"Fang was a servant to the Dark Master, but was recruited by another force. The black dragon belongs to the same evil force that is spurring Fang to resurrect the Dark Master. They all want the same goal, the firing of the Final Solution in dark mode."

"But why is this happening now though, why can't it happen at any other time?" Spyro was getting a tad frustrated. Things seemed to just happen right after the other, with no intermission of any kind.

"The Great Cleansing has awakened this beast Spyro… and now it is rising to the surface of this world as we speak. The weapon will only reveal itself if it is activated into stand by mode. Malefor seeks to do that so he can learn of its location. You must stop him Spyro. Go now."

"Wait, who are you? What do I do?!"

"My name is Singe… and the answers you seek will become more apparent with time. Now go, there isn't any time to waste." With that Spyro felt himself being launched in the air and just as suddenly placed on a surface and he then noticed he was lying down.

[System Reboot]

March 6, 2204

0833 Hours

City of Warfang

His eyes shot open and he found himself lying in a dimly lit room. The room was a half circle shape, with a balcony like window at the far end. Spyro was lying on a soft bed which had stone works carved onto the wall and room and a soft material made up a mattress. There was a cloth over Spyro and his head even rested on a soft cushion as well.

Spyro slowly got off of his bed and walked over to the balcony. It was dark outside, the results of clouds blocking the sun. He was in Warfang.

"I see someone's feeling better." Spyro turned around to see Lieutenant Wagner walk into the room, a bandage over his stomach.

"Wagner! What happened!? How long have I been out?"

"Calm down Spyro. You've been out for 3 days or so."

"3 days?!"

"Yeah, after that encounter in the Burned Lands we brought you back here for medical care."

"What about Malefor, and Fang?"

"We tracked them leaving the Burned Lands but their forces caused us to make a full retreat back to Warfang. They rolled over small outposts just north of here and we've been hard pressed to keep them from just launching a full out assault on Warfang. If it weren't for the _Typhus_ hovering over the city, I think they would have a long time ago."

"Where's Cynder?"

"She's aboard the _Typhus_ right now for extensive care. You both took a beating back there." Spyro felt the back of his neck and felt a bandage there. There were also bandages over his wounds on his arm and stomach.

"I need to see her." Spyro simply said as he walked to the door. Wagner sighed and stepped in front of him.

"Spyro you and her need to rest. The doctors fear having you around will elevate her heart rate which will jeopardize their efforts to keep blood from flowing to afflicted areas of her body until they can fully heal them." Wagner explained as he blocked the entrance.

Spyro had a look of anger and sadness in his eyes.

"So I can't see her at all?!" Spyro almost yelled this.

"We will take you to her when she's ready. Right now it'd be best if you didn't." As Wagner said this, a large dragon, Terredor, stepped behind Wagner and with a gruff sigh, Wagner moved to allow the large dragon to enter the room.

"I see Spyro's awake now. I take it you are feeling better Spyro?" The Earth Guardian asked.

"Yes, I feel better Terredor. Where am I anyway?"

"You're in the Dragon Temple of Warfang. We erected this replacement after Malefor captured the original. It isn't much but it's become our home for the past 3 years." Terredor said in his usual gruff manor.

"It has also become the Marine Headquarters for the time being. This is where we will coordinate all of our operations until further notice." Wagner said while removing his helmet and running his hand through his hair, only to place the helmet back on his head.

"What're you guys going to do next?" Spyro asked, tid bits of his dream starting to return to his memory.

"We were planning an evacuation of Warfang if Malefor's forces got any stronger. We don't know if we can build our defenses here fast enough to combat their forces." Wagner said.

"Yes… there is a settlement south of here where we can regroup and-"

"No, we cannot run away!" Spyro said, cutting Terredor off. They looked at him with surprise.

"We have to stop Malefor before he awakens the Final Solution! Right now he's going around trying to put the weapon on stand by! If he does that the weapon will reveal itself for him to fire!"

"How do you know this?" Wagner asked.

"I… had a dream…"

"You… had a dream?" Wagner asked again.

"Well if he had a dream then…" Terredor recalled the occasion where Spyro had had a dream before.

"You've got to be kidding me, right?" Terredor and Spyro both looked at Wagner with what could either be taken as smug looks or as unknowing looks.

"Well… I guess this world is already weird enough…"

"Well… what would you suggest we do then Spyro?" Terredor asked as he stepped forward, almost ignoring the Human's comment.

"Well I… don't know…"

"Well all we know is that there are a large group of hostiles sniffing about a place far to the south. It's an artic region that lies approximately 52 Miles south of this peninsula. We have recon units inbound already." Wagner said as he peered out of the window.

"Dante's Freezer…" Spyro muttered as he remembered taking that flight south and going there 3 years ago.

"I'm going to." Spyro simply said as he started for the door.

"No, your not." Terredor said as he blocked the exit.

"You are in no condition to do battle. You must rest, gather your strength. Only then can you achieve true victory. A true warrior knows patience." Spyro sighed.

"Spyro, come with me." Terredor unblocked the door and invited Spyro to exit the room. Spyro did so and Wagner walked over behind to follow.

The interior of the new dragon temple was similar to the old, but with many key differences. The layout of the hallways wasn't as large like the cylinder ones were of the old dragon temple. Some halls were box shaped while others were of the old cylinder shape. There were many intricate designs on the walls and the walls were of a beautiful white color. There were hallways with white dragon statues or that sported small little gardens.

As they entered the dojo Spyro was really impressed. This dojo was much larger then the old, sporting an almost open roof. Sunlight filtered in and birds chirped as they flew above.

The outside walls of the dojo were adorned with several tiers of gardens and plants that were actually purposely built for people to lie down in them. The white walls let light come in and reflect off, eliciting a vibrant look throughout the new dojo.

In the center there was a statue, that of an unknown dragon to Spyro. However the statue sat towering over him just as the one of Malefor had done only before.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Terredor asked as he saw Spyro's expression.

"Yes… it is…" Spyro said as he looked around a bit more. There were several figures in the room with them, mostly Marines and other humans. There were a lot of Humans that seemed odd to Spyro. It was probably from him being used to seeing them in Marine armor but these Humans wore only white uniforms or of other colors but they weren't as detailed or as 'war ready' as the Marine combat armor was.

One that was in a form of Marine armor saw them and walked over. Wagner stopped and saluted the soldier.

"Colonel Dyke, sir!"

"As you were Lieutenant." Dyke said as he returned Wagner's salute.

"Spyro, this is Colonel Dyke. He is the Commander of all Human Forces here."

"And you must be Spyro, the purple dragon they've all been telling me about." Colonel Dyke extended his hand and this perplexed Spyro a bit.

"You shake it, like this." Dyke said as he grasped Spyro's paw and shook it.

"It's the Human way of greeting." Wagner explained.

"Oh." Spyro said as he realized what it was.

"Spyro!" Spyro turned to see Sparx buzz up.

"Sparx, where have you been!" Spyro said, happy to see Sparx alright.

"When you and your buddies took off into that volcano you left me behind! I didn't bother going in after you because that lava looked hot…" Spyro looked at him with a comical look of disappointment.

"What?" Sparx said. Wagner shook his head.

"Well lieutenant, I am off to the Command Post." Dyke said and Wagner nodded.

"Well Spyro, you should gather your rest." Terredor said as he started off to follow Dyke.

"You can join recon later, you took a beating earlier and need to rest more." Wagner said as he walked off to go do something as well. Spyro sighed and walked out to the balcony. As he exited the main door he walked off onto the balcony to find it almost exactly like the one from the temple. The only difference was that the walling was a bit more detailed and the platform itself was bigger.

The City of Warfang expanded out, showing that the Temple was perched atop a small cliff face that had accumulated over one of the taller towers in the city.

The sun was out and it shined brightly onto the white temple. The sky was filled with several fluffy white clouds that sat atop the city. The human ship, the UERNF _Typhus_, sat above the city, its engines flaring to keep it aloft. Several human fighters flew overhead as well, trailed by dragons as they reconed the skies above Warfang and kept any intruders out.

As Spyro sat looking at the city, large gusts of winds slapped against him. The wind felt excellent against his scales, which had been indoors for the past few days. As the fighters passed over the temple, Spyro sighed and peered down to the city below. Many buildings were still damaged from the previous battles that had raged through it, including entire sections of the city that had been demolished by the near Great Cleansing.

As the sun hit against him he heard something behind him and turned to see Karson walking up with Allison. They sat down next to Spyro and looked out over the city. Allison had her head against Karson's side. After a second they realized this and she lifted her head in embarrassment and Karson started to blush.

"So uh… you're Spyro?" Karson asked as he tried to change the subject of the attention.

"Yeah, I am." The purple dragon responded, chuckling mentally about the two's obvious affection.

"I've heard a lot about you." Karson said as he looked the purple dragon over. From the way Singe described the situation, Spyro was a dragon ready to do evil at a moments notice, or something along those lines. What was she getting at? It didn't really matter at this particular time, though the Final Solution was the problem, and Karson presumed it was the threat Singe warned him about, this was probably going to be the only time they'd get to rest.

From the sounds of the way they were running operations, they weren't long for this city. Best to enjoy the time off as it came. Still, Karson wondered just what Dyke was going to do about the whole situation. The situation was deteriorating by the second as the 'Dark Master' searched for ways to use the Final Solution. Dyke said that they had tracked the Dark Master to a citadel like structure to the north in a mountain pass, but at the current time, Dyke was not planning any assault of any kind against that fortress.

For the time being, the Marines were just setting defenses around Warfang and preparing for any inevitable assault the enemy might do. They had already repelled two minor assaults in the past 3 days. Thankfully they never even reached the city walls due to the tanks they had pulled out from the _Achilles_ crash site.

"So you're Karson I take it? Allison's said a lot about you." Spyro said with a smile, breaking Karson from his thoughts.

"Yeah, we're great friends." Karson said, returning the smile. Allison also smiled at the statement as well. Spyro looked at him before looking back at the clouds and the Human Frigate hovering over the city.

"You want to see her, don't you?" Allison asked, referring to Cynder.

"Yeah… I'm just so worried about her…" Spyro said as he looked down to the ground. He felt Karson's hand touch his shoulder.

"Don't worry Spyro. She'll be fine. She just needs to heal up, that's all." Spyro smiled up at him and Allison smiled as well.

The fluffy white clouds added a nice feeling to the scene as they temporarily blocked out the sun and a cold wind swept through and chilled Spyro. Soon, the clouds let the sun back out and its warmth hit Spyro's scales once more. It was a perfect day out. If only Cynder were here…

Spyro heard something behind him and turned to see Aaron and Krypto trotting down to the balcony. Krypto kept his distance while Aaron trotted right next to the group and sat down.

"Hey, what's up?" Aaron asked Spyro who sighed with a laugh.

"Nothing much…" Spyro said.

"Miss Cynder?"

"Yeah…"

"Well don't worry, she's doing just fine." Aaron said as he remembered her taking a beating back in the core.

Krypto remained silent.

"Hey Krypto, tell us more about your race." Allison said as she saw he wasn't talking. Krypto looked at her for a bit before walking a bit closer to the group.

"There isn't much to tell… other then them being the greatest race ever… until they were all destroyed… I'll never forgive the emperor for that…" Krypto said while sealing his eyes to search his memories of the atrocities committed by the Emperor to his people.

They all looked at Krypto with empathetic eyes but he quickly shunned their looks by turning away. Trying to change the subject, Karson looked at the other dragon in the group, Aaron.

"So… Aaron was it? Did you ever have any family?"

"Don't know. The Dark Master took my egg from the Temple before I was even born. I don't know my family and they were probably killed by the Dark Master. Karson sighed.

"That sucks… Spyro? Did you ever have any family?" They could tell Karson was desperately trying to cheer up the conversation, but in a way, he was only making it worse.

"I had foster parents, but I don't know what happened to them. Sparx is my step brother and my real family I have no clue. Ignitus was the closest I had to a real father and now he's…"

Spyro didn't have to finish it. Most of them understood his fate was probably like the others…

"What about you? You have any family?" Spyro asked, turning to Karson and Allison.

"Yeah, what's your world like?" Aaron asked them.

"Well, we both have foster families. We were both adopted. We never knew our real families and our foster families said they just found us one day on their porch." Karson said. Allison nodded in agreement.

"Our world… well its better to say 'our worlds'. The United Earth Republic has colonized many worlds so Humanity is spread across several worlds ranging from Cirmain to Earth itself." Karson explained.

"Earth?" Aaron asked.

"Yeah, that's our home world." Allison said with a smile.

"What's it like?" Aaron inquired, getting more and more interested in it.

"It's defiantly a bit different then here. Not as… well… magical. Though the landscapes are similar. Forests… rivers… hills… mountains… cities… most of the planet is covered in oceans that spread across its surface. Unlike this place it only has a single moon, Luna." Everyone intently listened to Karson's description of Earth. There was still another thing that Aaron had to ask though.

"So… when did you guys ever decide to leave Earth? Like go and colonize other worlds?"

"Well… Humanity has grown into a big race. Too big for Earth to contain and nurture. Plus other worlds have things like metals for us to mine… fields for us to farm… and other things."

"All this talk about Earth is making me miss my home…" Allison said as she sat thinking of Earth.

"Oh… I'm sorry…" Aaron said.

"Well why don't we talk about something else then." Krypto said. His speech sort of surprised the group, considering the fact that he hadn't said much at all since they met the guy. A new sound caught their attention, that of a few Nighthawks flying through the air and to the south towards the ocean.

"Looks like recon hit some trouble if they're sending support." Allison said as she watched the drop ships fly off.

Spyro stood up.

"Where you off to?" Karson asked.

"I need to go to Dante's Freezer." He simply said.

"Spyro, you're in no condition to fight. Rest a bit. Recon will locate whatever it is that they're after." Spyro looked at Karson who said this and sighed.

"Resting is something we cannot do anymore… Time is not our ally."

"Excuse me, are you by any chance named Spyro?" A new voice alerted all on the balcony to a new presence and they all turned around to see a wolf walking up with wings. The wolf had an insignia on his left hind-leg and had brown fur. His eyes were golden and his wings were of a pure white. They looked sort of like angel wings.

"Yeah, I'm Spyro. Why?"

"My name is Zephyr." The wolf said with a smile.

End of Chapter 12

Spyro and Cynder belong to Sierra Entertainment

Krypto belongs to Kryptangel92 of deviantART

Singe belongs to SexyCynder of deviantART

Aaron belongs to Dragonfreak1112 of deviantART

Zephyr belongs to Dragonheart666666 of deviantART

The UER Karson, Allison, Typhus and all related characters belong to me


	13. Ready to Fight

Chapter 13: Ready to Fight

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

March 6, 2204

1232 Hours

Dragon Temple

"So your name's Zephyr?" Karson asked, turning to see the new face.

"That's such a pretty name…" Allison said, which got a smile from Zephyr.

"Thank you." Zephyr said.

"What brings you here?" Aaron asked.

"To see Spyro, of course." He said in reply.

"Me?"

"Yes, you. You're the only one here named Spyro."

"Why do you want to see me?"

"Well for one, you saved the Atlowa and the region of Tall Plains from Cynder's rule and from the domination of the Apes. I had been watching you and I must say, I am glad to have you on our side."

"Thanks." Spyro said. He had forgotten about Tall Plains. It had been 3 years after all since he had been there and liberated the Atlowa people with the help of Kane and Sparx. Sometimes Sparx was helpful… sometimes…

"I wanted to ask if I…" Zephyr began but was sort of at a loss of words as a look of confusion swept upon his face.

"If you could what?" Spyro asked.

"If I…" Zephyr clenched his eyes shut and looked as if he was going to blurt the whole thing out.

"If I could join you guys on your journey!" He gasped for air after it and they looked at each other. Spyro chuckled.

"Well… we aren't really on a journey…" Spyro said as he looked at Zephyr.

"And anyone willing to fight the Dark Master is with us." Allison said with a smile. Aaron smiled as well.

"More friends!" He exclaimed.

Krypto simply huffed. Spyro smiled.

"Why not?" Spyro said and Zephyr smiled again. The new wolf walked over and sat down near the others, and Spyro looked up to the Frigate.

"If you want to see her so bad then go." Karson suggested. Spyro was about to do so but remembering Wagner's words made his stomach go into a knot. If he saw her, her heart rate might go too high for the doctors to help heal her. But… it wouldn't hurt to just see her from afar… or ask the doctors how she was…

Spyro smiled and took off towards the Frigate. The others just watched and Allison sighed softly.

"That's so cute… he'd do anything to see her…" She said.

"He is in love with her…" It was at that time he noticed he was holding Allison and she was hugging him in return. At once they both recoiled and moved a bit away from each other, blushing. The others laughed at this.

Spyro soared higher and higher, the Frigate coming closer into view. The Frigate's two open Hanger Bays came closer and Spyro flew into one of them. Parked UERNF Raven and Raptors sat in the hanger, as well as Nighthawks and Sparrowhawks sitting in cage like holders off to the side.

As Spyro came to a landing in the hanger, he noticed the Marines and Navy personnel that went this way and that, refueling the vehicles while Marines stood watch. Spyro attracted many stares as a result of landing in the Hanger Bay, primarily from the Navel Personnel. Spyro walked over to the opposite side of the hanger bay in which he entered and noted some doorways that led out of it. He walked to a board that sat on the wall and saw that it gave directions.

He saw 'Medical Deck' labeled on Deck B above the Hanger Bays. He saw a Navy Technician walk nearby and walked over.

"Hey, how do I get to Medical?" He asked. The Navy Tech, who had had his face buried in a notepad, was started by Spyro and took a second to respond.

"Uh… you go down this hallway until you reach the central stairs and go to… uh… B Deck… just follow the signs…"

"Thanks!" Spyro said and dashed over there. Spyro left the Tech standing there, scratching his head.

Spyro walked through the hallways, looking for the stairs. Finally he came to an area where to the left of the hallway there were glass windows that revealed flights of stairs going up and down. Just next to the windows was a doorway that lifted open to show the path directly to the stairs.

Relieved, Spyro walked down the path and took a flight up to B Deck. Once on B Deck, he walked down the halls, going passed Marines and Navy Techs alike, getting a few curious stares from them. Finally he read a sign above a doorway that read 'Medical'. He walked into the area and saw several desks and passage ways leading this way and that, labeled such things as 'Emergency', 'Intensive Care', 'Cryo Storage', 'Regular Care'… and several others. Spyro saw a Human in a white coat and walked over.

"Uh… excuse me, do you know where they are keeping a dragon in here?"

"Yes, I do. You must be Spyro I take it. Cynder was in Emergency but we moved her over to Intensive Care. I would imagine you'd still be out and Wagner would have warned you that it is dangerous for you to see her." The doctor said. Spyro frowned.

"Well… I guess since you're here…" Spyro perked up and the Doctor smiled before motioning for him to follow. He walked over to the wing labeled Intensive Care and opened the door to it. They walked down the halls until they reached a room with two doors, labeled A and B. He lead Spyro into B. They walked into a small room with small monitors and glass windows that overlooked a small room with a few beds. One of the beds contained a black dragoness- Cynder.

"She took a beating back where you were… suffered a few internal injuries and her rib cage was almost shattered."

Spyro cringed at the words.

"Thankfully we managed to temporarily reinforce her rib cage until it can naturally heal; we've even put some reconstructive hormones into her stream to speed up the process. We also sealed her internal wounds, but until they are fully healed, we cannot have excess heart rate or amounts of blood flowing through those regions… so that's why we cannot allow you to see her at this moment."

"Cynder…" Spyro said with a frown. He felt his heart ache as he heard this news… he wanted to see her so badly, but if he did, he'd be endangering her. It felt bittersweet. Spyro's head drooped to the floor and he sighed aloud.

"Thanks…" Spyro softly said and looked at Cynder's sleeping form before leaving the room. The Doctors and other Medics watching sighed sadly at the moment they witnessed.

Spyro trotted slowly back down to the Hanger Bay, seeing Volteer, the electric guardian, talking with Navy Techs about something down the hall. It was basically chatter coming from that machine gun mouth of his. He went into the Hanger Bay and took flight out down to Warfang once more.

As he descended downwards, he flew away from the balcony and flew down to the rear of the temple. He landed in what was an outside garden just to the rear of the temple atop the huge building and cliff that the temple sat atop. Several plants occupied the garden and Spyro walked through it and sat in a bushy area, looking at the Frigate as it hovered in the distance.

The thought of him being so close to Cynder, yet unable to see her struck him at his very core. He wanted to see her so badly… but the reality of the situation was that he couldn't… that it was better for her own well being that he not see her at all…

The Gardens themselves were of several natural and brick walkways that went through several regions of plants, trees, and other things. It was an almost mini-forest with walls that bounded the gardens from the rest of the temple. Spyro walked over and deviated from the path. He entered the bushes and looked around the flower ridden region.

Spyro sat down in the bushes, the sunlight penetrating through the trees nearby and striking his scales. The light coming through created a sort of majestic scene to this temple that the old one didn't have. Well… Spyro was never around the temple long enough to see such a beautiful day. He was only there for a few days before it was destroyed at the hands of Malefor.

As Spyro remembered more about the old temple he looked out and saw birds flying above on the temple roof just beyond, flocks of the creatures landing atop its massive dome. Sunlight was flooding the gardens and it created a surreal scene, however, only sadness sat in Spyro's heart. He tried not to think of Cynder… but the more he did… the more he kept picturing her next to him… It hit him to his very core.

He saw a few female Marines admiring the garden just a bit ahead. They were looking at a few flowers and picking them, shouldering their rifles as they did so. Spyro could hear a giggle or two but they were quickly hushed as they dropped them and pretended to patrol as a Marine Lieutenant walked on by. For a moment, Spyro wondered if it was Wagner, but the Lieutenant was another Marine, looking at a small pad in his hands as he quickly passed up the female Marines.

Once the Officer had past them up, the two returned to their flower picking. They were joined by a small mole girl and a young dragoness who had also wandered up here as well. Together they sniffed and looked at the flowers, assorting them into a variety of different colors in their hands.

Spyro couldn't help but put a smile on his face. He wondered why Marines would act like that. Yeah, granted that they were girl Marines, Marines were the Human's armed forces. Surely they'd act a little more tough. Plus, Spyro was sort of surprised they were even in it. He had never seen a single female fighter in the Dragon Realms. Cynder was the first female he'd ever seen fight. Was Human culture that different? What else did girls do other then fight in their army? If that was the inside of their Frigate Warships, what did their cities look like? Their worlds? Their homes?

As he thought a butterfly flew down and sat atop his muzzle, sunlight reflecting off of its wings and into his eyes. His scales glowed a brilliant white from the intense light and the entire scene reflected the true beauty of the area.

A Nighthawk flew overhead and landed nearby. Spyro didn't really pay too much attention; neither did the two female Marines or their other counterparts picking flowers.

"Where'd Spyro run off to?" Spyro heard a voice and knew who it belonged to- Sparx.

"I saw him fly in this direction from the ship… keep looking I guess." Allison said. Spyro saw Allison, Karson, Sparx and Aaron enter the gardens. Spyro caught a glimpse of Krypto and Zephyr at the opposite ends of the gardens, looking through the foliage.

"Great, first he ditches me at the statue then disappears from his other friends!" Sparx huffed and crossed his arms.

"Dude seriously needs a check over."Sparx said as he buzzed nearby. Aaron opened his mouth to say a comment, but decided not to say it, deciding to instead walk further on into the path.

Spyro was so far from the path that they had to have been in the bushes with him to really catch sight of him, unless they were looking directly at him.

He decided that he didn't want to be with anyone at the moment, so he kept quiet and sat still, closing his eyes and remaining in his spot. He wanted to just be alone… to be with his thoughts and remain in the sun drenched regions that were the gardens. He didn't want Sparx or Karson or Allison… he only wanted to see Cynder… but she wasn't here… of course as was his luck…

Spyro saw that they were still in the area, calling out his name and trying to usher him over. He didn't budge. Instead he sat in silence, letting the harmonic chirping of the birds carry his mind aloft.

Finally, they gave up their search in the gardens and moved out, shouldering past the group of girls picking flowers and to the opposite side of the gardens.

With their departure, Spyro slowly inched over into another natural opening filled with tall grass. It went off into a river that broke off into a waterfall that spilled into another area of the gardens. However this area was isolated from the rest of the gardens. It was a small little outcrop of the gardens placed on a lower level but there was no actual walkway to access it. Spyro stood up and walked to the water's edge, peering his sights down to the area beneath.

Down beneath was what looked like a sort of sanctuary like area. There was no shrine or structure to speak of, but it looked like a nice little get away area where nobody could bother you or come to bring you a sign of disturbance. It was the perfect place for Spyro to be.

Spyro glided down to the area beneath and sat in the grass. He was surrounded by flowers and trees. As Spyro sat, there was a statue of a dragon that sat in the area. It was of a purple dragon. Strange… Spyro hadn't noticed it before, yet it was out near where he was. How could he have missed it?

He kept staring at it, for what seemed like an eternity. Suddenly a sweet sound streamed through the calm area and his ears tuned to the sound of a sweet voice.

_"Spyro? What is the matter?"_ the voice asked.

"Nothing…"

_"Something must be the matter… you look gravely sad..."_

"I'm just… a bit sad I guess…"

_"You guess?"_

"Yes."

_"Why do you guess?"_

"I just… do."

_"Why?"_

"I don't know…"

_"Why don't you know?"_

"I just don't…"

_"Why?"_

"I just don't alright!" the voice seemed amused, for it chuckled.

_"Young dragon… there is an answer to everything. You just have to know where to look." _The feminine voice sounded soothing to him… and very familiar at the same time. He had heard it before… but couldn't quiet place his talon on it. Who was it?

"_Is it someone you miss?"_

"Yes…" He simply said, trying to figure out who the voice belonged to.

_"Is it that young dragoness Cynder?"_

"Yes… how do you know?" The voice once again chuckled. Another voice joined in, and suddenly a new statue became noticeable to Spyro, this one being a faded red and on the other side of the area. The statue reminded him of somebody…

_"We know many things…young dragon…"_ The voice was amazingly familiar. It was undeniable. It was Ignitus, the Fire Guardian.

"Ig-Ignitus?"

_"Yes young dragon, it is nice to see you as well."_

"Ignitus, where are you?"

_"I am where I need to be Spyro. But I do not believe you think that you are."_

"No… I should be out there… helping to find the Dark Master and stop him once and for all. I am wasting my time resting."

_"But Spyro, you are still weak." _The female voice said.

"I am not weak. I am ready to fight! I can fight! I just need to know where to go…"

"Recon has some wounded and needs to get airlifted, you two, your with me!" Spyro heard a voice off in the distance. It belonged to a Marine. He heard the two female Marines snap to attention and run off. After a few silent seconds, the Nighthawk in the distance flared its engines and the drop ship started to ascend.

_"Spyro, go where you think you are needed and do what you think is right. Don't do anything less or more." _Ignitus's voice sounded true and stern. Spyro nodded, a tear forming in his eyes.

_"We have your back, now go." _The female voice added. Spyro flexed his wings and leapt into the air, giving chase to the drop ship as it flew off towards the ocean- the south. It was headed to Dante's Freezer.

"He's growing up so fast…" The female voice commented.

"Yes… he is… It's hard to believe he was once and egg…" Ignitus said with a chuckle.

"Well… a lot more rests on his shoulders this time. Do you think he is ready?"

"I think he is… I think he is…" Ignitus said with a stern voice. The statues faded and silence once again claimed the small secret part of the garden.

"Is that Spyro?!" Allison said as she pointed into the sky. Sure enough, a small purple dot chased after a Nighthawk bound for the region recon was sniffing out to the south.

"Damn it all… he's gunna get himself killed."

"I'm going after him." Aaron said and took off after him. Krypto remained silent as he too leapt into the skies. Zephyr shrugged as he joined them in the air and soared onwards in pursuit of the dragon.

Karson sighed and Allison groaned.

"That crazy bastard is going to get himself into some serious trouble…" Karson said, kicking a small rock.

"What's over to the south anyway?"

"I don't know… but he's going after it…"

1322 Hours

Oceans South of Warfang

Spyro flew through the skies, the winds slapping against him as he sailed along. The Nighthawk was just ahead, only visible as a small gray blob moving far ahead of him.

The ocean waters passed beneath him, as well as small islands. The islands were only a few dozen meters across, but had tall mountains that rose high above the waters and trees that sat on the island. Spyro remembered all this. He had been here before, 3 years ago. This was the path he took when he had first learned to fly.

At least this time there weren't cannons launching Apes at him or something like that. It was pretty peaceful to just be flying along. He felt dull aches coming from his neck and stomach, the injuries starting to make themselves noticeable. Spyro ignored them and kept flying along.

The Nighthawk, being faster then Spyro, was starting to slip from view. Spyro flapped his wings to pick up speed and went a bit faster, trying to at least keep the Nighthawk within his view.

The tropical-like islands beneath him were now being replaced with glaciers and ice islands. The waters and landscape beneath were becoming increasingly icy. He was close.

Spyro heard screeching sounds that penetrated his ears and he gritted his teeth. Two Human fighters screeched above him, moving at lightning fast speeds. They dashed faster then anything Spyro had ever seen before. Just as quickly as they had passed overhead, they were out of sight.

Spyro flew along quickly, trying to reach Dante's Freezer to help with whatever was going on with the Marines. Finally the mainland of Dante's Freezer came into full view and Spyro slowed down as he came to a stop in the exact place he'd landed 3 years ago.

This particular place hadn't changed. It was still a path that headed to the right of his landing area and then turned left, heading deeper into the snowy regions. Smoke pillars were seen in the distance and Spyro dashed through the snowy forest-like area, the chilling winds and temperatures slapping against his scales like several knifes. It was bitter cold, no doubt about that. However, he ignored it and applied fire from his elemental abilities to heat his body from within. Still, it didn't change the fact that it was bitter cold outside.

Spyro ran through the snow, passing up broken buildings and forts, frozen ancient soldiers and other things. Dante's Freezer had changed a bit since his last visit 3 years ago. Many paths had been cut off and new ones had been made as a result. The thing that got him running towards the smoke even more was the sight of a few Marines sitting in the snow, their bodies incased in frost and their faces of pain and agony frozen for all of time to see.

After a bit more running, Spyro reached the top of a snowy bank that overlooked a fortress. Spyro sat and recaptured his strength, peering out onto the fortress. There were a few enemy soldiers on guard, curiously, these creatures were Apes! Spyro had thought all Apes had been turned into those skeleton things that he had fought earlier!

Some of the natural soldiers that were native to the region marched upon the fort, issuing a challenge. The Apes did their usual kicking and howling in response. The two sides clashed, swords and arrows flying through the air.

Spyro didn't have time for this. He flapped his wings and flew over the fray, letting them kill each other so he didn't have to. He passed over the fort and onto the next region of frozen canyon like terrain to find a Nighthawk split in half, its nose dug into the dirt and its tail section sticking up in the air. Pieces of twisted and distorted steel lay all about, as well as bodies of Marines. Smoke rose from the destroyed drop ship, originating from the nose. There was a Marine lying atop a box with a flashing light on it. Spyro could hear the sound of a voice, but it was garbled, unlike regular speech.

_"This is Recon group 332 broadcasting on all United Earth Radio Frequencies requesting support. I repeat, requesting support. We are pinned down in the southern regions of this area, coordinates unknown. We have wounded and require air lift out of here ASAP. They have unearthed something, I repeat, they have unearthed something and we are trying to-"_

The signal cut out.

1354 Hours

Dante's Freezer- Marine LZ

"Oh wow its cold!" Aaron said as he landed, quickly followed by Zephyr and Krypto.

"This is nothing, I've felt worse." Krypto said nonchalantly.

"Well… there's no sign of Spyro." Zephyr stated, seeing that he was nowhere in sight. There was evidence of human presence though, melted snow and boxes a testament to them using this as their Landing Zone.

"Well we're not going to find him standing around, let's go…" Krypto said and started off towards a gateway that lead deeper into the snowy regions. The other two shrugged and followed. Snow hit them, retrieving a groan from Aaron but a smile from Zephyr. Zephyr, being a wolf with wings, was able to endure colder conditions then Aaron. Aaron tried to heat his body up with fire, but while trying to run it was a bit difficult.

They ran down the snowy path, seeing smoke rise off in the far distance.

"Snap, why does it have to be so far?" Aaron asked.

"We could fly there, sure would be faster." Zephyr suggested.

"The winds are picking up. Soon it will be too rough to fly." Krypto said as he walked down in the snow. Aaron shook off some snow that had accumulated on his muzzle as the snowfall started to increase. More and more snow fell down onto the trio, accumulating on their bodies even as they ran in the snow.

As they ran they came to a structure in the snow, a sort of tunnel into the mountain that was constructed. They went into the tunnels, bricks cracking and snow falling onto the already slush covered floors. Tables littered a room with cups turned over, ice crystals hanging from the roof and a portion of the ceiling at collapsed in, frost flowing from it and a beam of light from outside flushing the room in its illuminated glory.

They passed through, narrowly avoiding a tunnel collapse and finding themselves a bridge outside that spanned over an enormous chasm. Across, there was a smoke pillar that was rising off somewhere nearby. Snow smacked their faces and clouds swirled above.

Aaron grunted as they started across the bridge, heavy winds colliding into the bridge from the chasm. Krypto had to even hang on as heavy snow and winds pummeled the bridge.

"Darn it! Couldn't be easy now could it?" Aaron said as he dug his claws into the wooden bridge, Zephyr doing the same.

"It's never easy!" Zephyr said as he used his claws to both fight the winds and walk.

Finally after getting across the trio sat in a courtyard to a building. They had to at least rest from that encounter. Finally after a silent rest, they stood up and began to walk once more, the pillar of smoke getting ever closer.

"Oh boy… that doesn't look good… not good at all…" Zephyr said.

"What do you see?" Krypto asked. Zephyr pointed to the sky and both Aaron and Krypto looked up to see black clouds approaching. Snowfall was increasing, as was wind speed. The black clouds could only mean one thing: a blizzard.

End of Chapter 13

Spyro and Cynder belong to Sierra Entertainment

Krypto belongs to Kryptangel92 of DeviantART

Singe belongs to SexyCynder of DeviantART

Aaron belongs to Dragonfreak1112 of DeviantART

Zephyr belongs to Dragonheart666666 of DeviantART

Everyone else- me


	14. Deadly Blizzard

Chapter 14: Deadly Blizzard

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

March 6, 2204

1412 Hours

Northern Regions of Dante's Freezer

"Damn it all…" Spyro muttered as the snow increased and covered him as he tried to advance. The snow was beginning to fall at an increasing rate and it was cold…

After Spyro had left the crashed Nighthawk, he had traveled away from it and had gone through a fortress. He had encountered a few Grublins and Orcs but not too many. A few Apes also got in his path and were similar to Cynder's Ape forces but they were just as easy to dispatch as they were 3 years ago.

As Spyro trotted through the snow he heard familiar sounds- gunfire. With renewed vigor he dashed through the snow, his path leading him down a passage running parallel to a fortress wall and a huge chasm.

Spyro saw just ahead of him there were several figures standing amongst the snow riddled areas. Even as the snow fall dramatically increased and clouded his vision, he could make out 4 Marines standing in the snow, firing their rifles from behind snow barriers they had erected.

A few native soldiers roared and charged them. Being skeletons, rifle rounds caused them little in the way of pain so they kept coming until the rounds cut their bones in half, cutting a leg or an arm.

One got close to their barriers and swung a sword at a Marine. The Marine leapt back, landing in the snow. The Marine fired a shotgun at the skeleton soldier, blowing its torso apart and causing the creature to fall to into the snow. Even without legs, it kept at it. It took a fellow Marine to step over and step on the skull to halt it.

Spyro rushed over as fast as he could, the snow and winds slowing him down. Spyro managed to regroup with them and the winds started to calm down.

"You Spyro?" One of the Marines asked.

"Yeah!"

"Sergeant Darmens, Marine Recon!"

"I heard you had wounded, where are they?"

"We got separated from the Lieutenant and they are somewhere around here. I don't know if any wounded would have survived, our drop ships haven't returned and the one sent to evac us never came."

Spyro cringed, remembering the fallen Nighthawk that had left just earlier.

"Looks like there's a storm brewing!" One of the Marines called out. Spyro looked up and saw a huge storm cloud hovering almost above them. It what was probably causing these erratic storms. However, once it was over them, the storm would get much worse.

"We have to move to shelter, c'mon!" Spyro declared, ushering the Marines to follow. They did and Spyro lead them down a path he remembered from 3 years ago. If he was correct, they'd end up in a passageway that lead through the mountain. It should provide perfect cover from a storm until help could get these guys out of here.

True to what he suspected, they arrived at the tunnel and entered. They came into what looked like a mess hall, tables littering the area and light coming through holes in the roof. The floor was still wooden, but a bit of snow had drifted in and coated it in a light layer of frost.

The Marines sat at the tables and some of them removed their helmets, their bulky winter clothing looking wet from the recent action.

"So… what did you guys find out here?" Spyro asked, trying to get to the bottom of the whole thing.

"The Lieutenant was off finding that out when we got separated. If anyone knows, its him." The Sergeant said as he placed his rifle on the table. Spyro grunted and started off towards the exit.

"Where you going?" The Sergeant asked.

"To find your Lieutenant." He simply said before leaving the room and off into the snow.

1423 Hours

Half a Mile South of the Marine LZ

"Why is it so freaking cold?" Aaron asked as he shivered, chilled winds and snow slapping against him. Zephyr and Krypto both lifted their wings to shield themselves and Aaron did the same.

They continued down through some more snow, Zephyr shooting nervous glances to the storm clouds above. Krypto kept his cool, eyeing the next region. He even walked in front of Aaron and Zephyr to shield them from the winter blast. Saying nothing, but noticing, they kept going.

They finally came to where the smoke was coming from. It was a downed Nighthawk.

"Looks like these guys didn't make it…" Aaron said as he walked over and put a paw on one of the frozen corpses.

"Good riddance…" Zephyr heard Krypto comment as Krypto started off in another direction.

They sighed but kept going, Zephyr shooting nervous and sort of angry glances at Krypto for his earlier comment.

"What's that sound?" Aaron asked as a sort of howling sound filled the path they were on. The path in question was a straight gap in the snow bluffs, trees and rocky cliffs running parallel to the path. The path went straight to what looked like an abandoned fortress.

"Sounds like…" Zephyr said as he tried to remember the sounds.

"Apes?" Aaron asked while scanning the surroundings. Suddenly, a stick of dynamite landed in the snow in front of them, Krypto and Zephyr eying it curiously while Aaron backed off a bit.

"Ah man, it's an ambush!" Aaron called out just before the stick detonated, covering both Krypto and Zephyr in melted snow and debris. Krypto, being closer to the stick, sustained a minor burn on his arm and roared out in pain, now searching for his attackers.

Zephyr whipped the snow from his face and Aaron readied himself as Apes leapt out from the snowline, armor and swords clanging as they prepared for the attack.

"Ah snap!" Aaron called out.

Krypto glared and used his tail to smack away the lead Apes, sending them back into the banks.

"Not these guys again!" Zephyr said while smacking one with his arm, causing it to turn a bit then using his hind legs to kick it away. Aaron lit up a trio with his fire breath, the area being illuminated with his fiery attack.

A larger Ape emerged, swinging a sword at them.

"Don' let them escape yous guys!" He called out, leaping out to meet them. Krypto silenced him with a good fireball which caught the creature ablaze and sent him into the snow. The remaining Apes turned to flee.

"What kind of fighters run?!" Krypto snarled.

"Never mind them, let's go!" Aaron said. They both ran off with him as they continued to the fortress. As they went, the skies were churning and turning darker and darker with each passing second. Aaron caught an illumination up in the skies above. It looked like a dragon. It stared down at him and he saw piercing yellow eyes. He grabbed his head as he felt those eyes split his head and enter his mind.

The other two stopped and looked at him.

"This is no time for a headache…" Krypto said looking at Aaron grasp his head. The pain subsided and Aaron shook it off, turning his attention back to Krypto.

"I'm fine, let's just go…" He said. They watched him run ahead of them and Krypto and Zephyr both shot glances to each other before continuing.

1444 Hours

Northern Regions of Dante's Freezer

The soft tak sounds of automatic fire kept Spyro along the path. He had to find out what were the Dark Master's forces doing down here… why they were interested in here… why the Apes were back and just how the Dark Master was planning to bring about the Final Solution.

He had to reach where the Lieutenant was and learn what his team had found out. Even with the temperature dropping he had to still do it. He saw something up ahead and dove into the snow nearby, his head and eyes poking through to see what they were.

He saw a few Apes, beaten on the ground. There were a few creatures nearby, some of which Spyro had never seen before. They were encased in a black bulky armor. In fact, he wondered if there was anything underneath that black armor that reminded him of a crystal. One of them grabbed an Ape by the neck and stabbed it through with its sword. The other simply stomped atop the other Ape and walked off.

The black dragon from before landed nearby and inspected the scene with a smile.

"Good… my Master will be pleased… the Marines here are doomed… as is the Marines and Dragons in that city… all we have to do is wait…" With that the Dragon took off into the skies.

"Who is his master?" Spyro asked, eyeing the dragon as he ascended into the sky.

As the dragon went up farther Spyro slowly left his cover in the snow and walked off towards a nearby structure and slowly approached, hearing gunfire in the distance.

As Spyro entered the new structure he saw several skeleton soldiers nearby. These locals were frozen in a state of war supposedly and now had been thawed. They were essentially skeletons with armor and some had beards… Spyro didn't even want to know how that was possible.

He tried to sneak around him but one of them snarled when it saw him and he growled as they yelled out and ran at him. Spyro leapt down and bit the handle of a spear and snapped it in half as it was swung at him. A sword followed just as quickly and Spyro had to flap his wings to propel himself back to avoid it.

More came, including one with an axe like weapon. Spyro used his ice to freeze the soldier and flicked his tail to shatter the creature. Another hissed and threw a spear at Spyro. Spyro, occupied with kicking a soldier in the groin, was struck with the spear on his arm, near the wound he had taken from the Lakador weapon just days before.

Spyro yelled out in pain as it shattered his scales and entered his flesh, blood droplets flying from his wound and onto the snow. Spyro roared out and another creature came in with a sword and brought it down in a stabbing motion. Spyro moved himself to avoid, but it still shattered a piece of his chest scales and sliced a cut into his chest as a result. Small trickles of blood came from his golden chest and Spyro yelled out in pain. He backed off, panting.

He felt weak… from the cold and the wounds. They came once more swords and axes prepared for strike.

Spyro sealed his eyes and focuses his energy. A column of fire formed around him and Spyro started to float into the air as energy flowed around him and the snow beneath him melted.

The soldiers charged at him even though this was occurring… a fatal mistake.

Spyro unleashed the wave of fire, its superheated fumes consuming the soldiers and blowing them away. The charred soldiers lay in the snow, their armor scorched and the snow around Spyro gone, bare ground remaining.

Steam rose from Spyro and he opened his eyes. The spear handle that belonged to the spear that had been lodged in his arm had vaporized, but the spear tip itself remained dug into his arm. He tried to remove it, but then noticed trickles of blood coming out as he did so. He chose to let it remain, for he was too far from help to do otherwise. If he removed it, he could bleed to death.

He coughed and continued on, limping as a spike of pain shot through him from the spear inside his arm. As he went, the chilled winds slapped against him and he shivered as the heat from the Fire fury faded away. He tried to warm his body internally with fire but it didn't work. Even with him having control over ice, he was no Ice Dragon.

The clouds above were really starting to churn snowfall steadily increasing and the winds once again picking up. Spyro ignored the chilled winds and continued through the snow. He passed into an open area and the full force of the oncoming storm hit him. He was blown back several feet as high winds slapped against him. His wings didn't help either by being out. They only served to catch the wind and acted like sails on a boat, sending him backwards into the snow.

He tried to fight but his limbs were numb from the cold. His wounds had also taken a lot of frozen blast, causing them to fail and he couldn't feel any part of his body. Even so, he found himself dragging himself forward, the howling winds slapping against him. He looked up and saw a Nighthawk drop ship pass overhead, search lights patrolling the ground nearby. He was so covered in snow at this point the search light didn't touch him. The drop ship passed on by and the angry clouds of the blizzard consumed the sky and his vision was obscured by snow.

Spyro made out several figures coming towards him though. At first he thought they were Marines… but then… then he saw the belonged to Apes. A lot of Apes at that. They howled a victory yell and walked closer to the purple dragon as he saw in the snow. Spyro's vision cut out.

1512 Hours

Northern Regions of Dante's Freezer

"This is useless, we can't find him!" Aaron called out in the howling winds.

"I can't see anything, there's too much snow!" Zephyr said in reply. The blizzard was almost at full strength, snow slapping in their faces and super chilled winds moving across the area. The winds were so powerful they had Aaron and Zephyr trapped in the snow, unable to move. Krypto walked over, fighting the winds and grabbed both of them. He lead them to a small tunnel network and they sat inside, both of them shivering.

Krypto set a fire ablaze on a wooden table nearby and they sat near it. Zephyr looked to be alright, his fur kept him warm. Aaron, even though being a fire dragon, his internal systems could withstand extreme heat, not extreme cold! He shivered and parts of his scales looked blue in color. He sat next to the fire, shivering.

Krypto shook a bit of ice off of himself and walked over into the tunnel they had entered. It looked like a huge feast hall, as did most of the areas they had been to. It was fairly large and he could finally flex his winds inside. He brought Aaron and Zephyr inside and they sat next to another table that Krypto had set ablaze. Aaron was lying on the ground, shivering and looking pale.

"Great… now how are we going to get out of this? Spyro's nowhere to be found, there's a group of humans somewhere here and Aaron's sick." Zephyr said as he sighed.

Krypto remained silent. He didn't want to admit it, but they needed human help if they were going to get Aaron and Spyro out of this… wherever Spyro was…

Humans had medicine… and magic could only go so far… Krypto could fly them out of here, but the winds were far too strong for them to go back outside. They had to remain here until the storm let up.

Aaron was falling asleep, Zephyr lying nearby to help warm him up with his fur. His body was extremely cold. Krypto lay nearby, watching the fire and thinking. They should have checked that crashed human ship for medicine… they were too quick to leave. If Aaron caught something, they'd be in trouble. Rather then being helpful, he'd just be dead weight to them.

Krypto suddenly craned his head as he heard a sound other then them inside the room. He saw nothing but stood up anyway.

"Stay here… watch Aaron…" Krypto said to Zephyr and walked off towards the source. The area where it came from was on the other side of a few tables and was near a doorway that lead to another large room like the one they were in.

Slowly walking to the door Krypto halted and sniffed the air. The cold temperatures masked whatever scents were in the air and he sighed before walking into the hallway that conjoined the two rooms. As he entered the second, he saw it was almost empty. The wall opposite of him had colomns that suggested they were an entrance to the fort, but was boarded up. Areas where boards didn't cover were areas where light and snow flooded in, the small flakes gathering in a small corner of the room. The howling winds were sounding off throughout the room and Krypto looked around to check if there was anyone in there besides him.

He didn't see anyone but heard some sounds nearby and scanned the room again. He bore his teeth and slowly walked, noticing a doorway leading to yet another fairly large room to his left. He slowly walked over to the door and heard small little skittering sounds in the snow. He scanned around once more, trying to isolate the sound. It wouldn't have been so hard if the wind wasn't constantly howling and filling the room with such an unnecessary noise.

He finally saw that it was a piece of wood that scraping against the wall that was generating the alleged skittering sound. He sighed, sort of disappointed that it was nothing but satisfied that it was nothing. He turned around and slowly headed back to Zephyr and Aaron.

Without warning, a creature latched itself onto Krypto's neck and brought its teeth down. The sharp teeth penetrated his scales and entered his flesh, ilecting a howl from Krypto.

Krypto grabbed the creature with his for-paw and threw it against a wall. It was a strange Grublin, its skin being white and it wearing camouflage that masked its appearance in the white snow that covered the floors. It was also smaller then the average Grublin, being about one forth regular size.

Krypto snarled and breathed fire at the creature, engulfing it in flames. More screeched and grabbed Krypto. They brought their teeth in and bit Krypto across his body. Krypto howled out, attracting the attention of Zephyr who raced in and saw the creatures. They in turn saw him and leapt out at him. Krypto flapped his wings, displacing them and breathed fire onto them.

As they neared Zephyr, he kicked them with his hind legs and set them into the wall and into Krypto's prepared flame attack.

"Damn these bastards…" Krypto said as he felt the wounds on him. Small trails of blood oozed from the wounds and Krypto whipped them clean.

They heard more sounds down the hall and Krypto motioned for Zephyr to go back to Aaron. Krypto ran off down to the room to the left and saw that there was yet again another doorway to his left, leading to yet again, another large room. However in this room, there was a sort of throne and there were stairs leading to a catwalk that ran along the wall's length, serving as a second floor. There were small slits in the walls some sort of defense to be placed. Up on the second floor there were a few Apes who spotted Krypto and howled out.

Krypto propelled himself at the Apes, smashing into them and crushing them into the wall. He snarled and kicked away from the wall, noting a passageway leading to more halls in front of him. He heard several other sounds from it including what he thought sounded like suppressed gunfire. There were humans in those tunnels. He wanted to just leave them, but knew that they probably needed their help. Reluctantly he walked down the halls and saw that there were indeed humans.

The humans were entrenched in a position across from him. The room he was in was split, two balconies on either side, on his balcony there were Apes, on the opposing, Marines. The two balconies were joined by a small bridge that led across. In the middle, there was a chasm that looked as if it went on forever.

The Apes on his balcony saw him and screamed out, leaping on him and trying to slash swords at him. Krypto, remembering his last encounter, slashed his tail and smashed them over the edge of the balcony and into the bottomless pit. The Marines saw this and crossed the chasm. It was a small group of about 6 of them. One of them had a red cross on his helmet- a Medic.

"You… Medic… come with me." Krypto said and pointed to the one with the cross on his helmet. The Marine looked at him odd but followed, as did the others.

"Do you have medicine?" Krypto asked.

"Just some penicillin and some morphine." The Medic responded. Krypto frowned. He at least knew some things about medicine produced by humans. Penicillin might help, but morphine was useless.

Krypto lead them back to the room where Aaron and Zephyr were. Aaron was shivering near the fire and Zephyr was standing watch for more of those creatures. Zephyr had killed 7 of them in Krypto's absence.

"Him, he's getting sick." Krypto said and pointed to Aaron. The Medic took a second before jogging over to Aaron's side and feeling his scales.

"I don't know much about dragon anatomy so I can't for sure say what's wrong with him. Though I will tell you this, if we don't warm him up he could die. I don't think a dragon's skin is supposed to feel this cold." The Medic said.

"Can't you do something?" Zephyr asked.

"I'm no doctor, just a field Corpsmen. I don't know much about viruses or bacteria. I could give him the penicillin though… but right now I think he needs to warm up gradually and also something to eat might do some good." The Medic said.

"We could cook Henson." One of the Marines joked.

"Knock it off Mark…" Another said. Krypto for a second considered the Marine's offer and looked at them. It wasn't a bad idea to eat them but he knew that it wouldn't end well if he did so he looked around. The blizzard was raging with even more ferocity then before. A trip outside would be useless.

Suddenly Krypto remembered the dead Grublins they had killed earlier. He walked over, fetched some of them and presented them to the Humans.

"Damn those guys are nasty." A Marine said.

"Least its better then your cooking." Another said with a chuckle.

"You know what, fine! See what I care if you don't get food next time."

The Medic ignored the Marine's comments and grabbed a bowl lying nearby and grabbed a handful of snow and dumped it in. Krypto heated it up and the snow melted into water. The water started to boil and they inserted some of the Grublins in and they put some on the fire to cook.

"Doesn't look like this storm will let up anytime soon." A Marine Sergeant said while looking out to the cave entrance that lead into the room.

"Can't you radio for a pick up?" Krypto asked, taking some of the Grublins out of the water and slicing them with his talons.

"Communication's been shit since we got here. Hell we don't even know where about 300 of our men are. Plus this storm doesn't help anything either." The Sergeant said while picking up a rock and chunking it across the room.

"Why did Spyro have to go off like that…" Zephyr said while biting into some of the cooked meat.

"You're looking for Spyro?" The Sergeant asked.

"Yeah, that is why we're here." Krypto responded.

"We ran into him earlier. He was the one who lead us into here for protection against the storm."

"Do you know where he is?"

"He left a while ago to locate the rest of our recon group. We lost track of our Lieutenant and hooked up with these two Marines in here. We don't know where Spyro ran off to."

1833 Hours

[System Error]

The air was cold, too cold. Why couldn't it just be warm? No, it always had to be cold. Go figure… Spyro coughed and opened his eyes. He tried to move but noticed his arms wouldn't move. He growled and tried to move his legs. They were non-responsive as well. Spyro shook off his grogginess and finally noticed that his muzzle had a guard on it. His legs were all chained to the wall and his wings were tied together.

He was in a room with brick walls and small arch-like windows near the ceiling to allow light to come in.

The Apes must have captured him… He tried to break the chains but he was too weak… and pain droned from his wounds. There was dried blood on his chest. It came from his neck which suggested his neck wound had opened up. The bandage across his stomach also had splotches of red on them.

The spear tip was also still embedded into his arm. A good inch to two inches of the spear were lodged in there, a deep cut. The spear was probably the only thing holding the blood in there. Regardless, he felt extremely light headed.

"Ah… you're awake…" Spyro looked up and saw Fang walk up. He smiled at the restrained dragon and placed a talon underneath Spyro's chin, raising his face to meet his own.

"Such a disappointment…" Spyro tried to say something but the muzzle muffled his words. That and the fact that he was far too weak to say anything meant that nothing came out.

"No need to talk… I already know your question." Fang let go of Spyro's head, allowing it to droop down.

"What are we doing here? Where's the Dark Master? Why are the Apes back? I assure you, answers will come… as for the Dark Master… he is off doing much greater business. Don't worry. He'll be here to meet you shortly." With that Fang started to the exit but halted.

"Do whatever you please to him, just don't kill him." He said to the Ape guards who snickered and cracked their knuckles. Fang took off into the sky and Spyro dreaded at what they were going to do. It wasn't going to be pretty.

The first one walked over and punched Spyro in the chest. It howled in delight as the other smacked Spyro across the face. A small trickle of blood came from his mouth. The Apes both howled in approval and hit him repeatedly. Spyro coughed and blood splattered the floor below. One grabbed a sword and used the butt of the weapon to jab into Spyro's chest, causing him to howl out in pain.

Spyro started to slip from consciousness once more but before he did, he saw one of the Apes get hurled from his position and smash into a wall. A large Lion let out a roar before ramming his head into the Ape. The second Ape yelled out as an arrow hit him in his back, piercing his armor. Spyro managed to muster up enough strength to see the figure of a Human Female walk to him, the Lion near by. Her exact details were shrouded by the light filtering in from the doorway she stood in and Spyro finally lost the last of his strength and his head drooped downward as he lost consciousness.

End of Chapter 14

Spyro and other appropriate characters belong to Sierra Entertainment

Krypto belongs to Kryptangel92 of DeviantART

Aaron belongs to Dragonfreak1112 of DeviantART

Zephyr belongs to Dragonheart666666 of DeviantART

The Two New Characters belongs to someone other then me :P Will say later XD

Marines and Fang belong to me


	15. Revelations

Chapter 15: Revelations

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

March 7, 2204

0824 Hours

[System Error- //GPSdisabled//233415CordinatesUnknown//ContactTechnician]

Spyro nudged himself, his limbs feeling weak. He slowly looked up and saw a figure nearby. The figure didn't notice him and walked off, into another room. He was in a house like structure. Wooden walls shielded the area and a small fire was nearby. There was a blanket on top of him and there were small puddles of blood on the floor. It was his blood.

Spyro looked over and saw the same Lion from before, asleep nearby. There was a sword and a bow nearby. Next to the bow was a quiver filled with dozens of arrows.

"Ah, I see someone's awake." Spyro cocked his head to see a girl walk into the room. She was shorter then Allison, younger looking as well. She walked over and set a hot hug of water next to the Lion on a table.

The girl wore a dress like uniform that had a knee guard and a few other things as well. A necklace was around her neck which glistened as the light from the fire danced across it. The feature that had gotten the most attention from Spyro was the symbols underneath her eyes. He hadn't seen any other humans with those. She must be special or something.

"What, you're not going to say anything?" She asked as she knelt in front of Spyro. Spyro snapped out of his daze and looked her over again.

"I uh…who are you?"

"Names Roxy." She said with a smile.

"Mine's Spyro." He said, returning the smile. Roxy stood up and walked over to the table next to the Lion, taking the cup and taking in a sip of her hot water. Spyro could hear winds outside, suggesting the storm was still brewing.

"You were pretty beat up back there." She said as she walked back to Spyro. Spyro felt his chest and it was a bit wet. He retrieved his claw and a few splotches of blood were on his claws. The spear tip had been removed, a strange foam filling his wound where it was.

"I was trying to find someone…" Spyro said as he groaned, trying to find out what he foam was.

"Would they happen to be human, like me?" She asked. Spyro looked at her for a second before nodding. She smiled and walked to the door, motioning for him to follow. He stood up and took the blanket off, seeing the puddle of blood that had formed under him.

They both walked out of the door and into another room. Spyro saw a handful of Marines sitting about, some wounded some not. A few of them had red crosses on their helmets, distinguishing them from the other Marines. Wagner had once referred to them as Corpsmen… or Medics…

One of the Marines had a silver bar on his helmet, a Lieutenant. The soldier saw Spyro, hopped off of the bed he was sitting on, and walked over.

"Spyro I take it?" He asked. Spyro nodded.

"Why were you out in the snow?"

"Looking for you guys."

"Well you found us."

"One of you men said you found something here. Did you?"

"Sure as hell did. A metallic structure that the Apes and other forces of the Dark Master were hovering around and entering. We didn't get a good look at it, we had to fall back when we fell under attack and then the blizzard hit. This girl helped us to shelter." Roxy smiled as she walked over to a wounded Marine and handed him a cup of hot chocolate.

"Where is the structure?" Spyro asked. The Marine walked to a bed, pulled out a paper from a pocket on his uniform and placed it on the bed. He pulled out a stick with a black tip and pink opposing tip. As he touched the paper, it left marks. The Marine drew a crude map of the area, marking their area.

"This is us." He pointed to a square illustration on the paper. He then moved to the opposite area and drew a few more items and finally drew a circle.

"This is the temple. It is about a mile from here, separated from us by a few high bluffs and structures. The temple seems to be buried into one of the glaciers so its entrance is hidden. Though the Apes prance around it so much that it's easy to find." Spyro nodded and walked off to the door.

"Don't tell me you're thinking of going over there…" The Marine said as he pocketed the paper.

"I am. I need to find out what they're up to… with or without your help." The Marine looked at Spyro. The dragon seemed dead set on what he was going to do. The soldier sighed.

"Fine, we're coming with to." The Marines all gathered around, even the wounded as they grabbed weapons.

"The wounded will stay here, Faison, Darwin, keep them safe. We're moving out to the temple." The Marine Lieutenant instructed.

"Not without me your not!" Roxy said as she pulled a coat on and the lion came out of the other room, close behind.

They walked to the door of the cabin and opened it up, snow flowing in. Blood dripped from Spyro's wounds. The medic walked alongside Spyro.

"You sure you're going out there? That medical foam will only hold for a bit. You could bleed out without any major medical attention soon."

"I'm fine." Spyro simply said as he cringed as the cold hit his wounds.

"At least take this." The Medic took a small tube with a needle tip and inserted it into a crack between his scales that revealed his bare flesh. Spyro felt a small prick of pain but then felt the pain wash away, his wounds also feeling non-existent.

"It's morphine, a pain killer." The Medic said as he put the item away.

Spyro felt a bit of renewed energy now that the pain was fogging his mind. He walked out into the bright air, small flakes of snow left over from the blizzard floating in the sky. Instead of the angry black clouds, light grey ones took their place. However, more black clouds were on the horizon which meant they were still in danger and were on borrowed time.

"I've sent out a beacon and dropped it at the location of the cabin, so hopefully the _Typhus_ can pick it up and evac them." The Lieutenant said as he walked over in the snow. There wasn't much snow fall, just the thick layer sitting on the ground. They trotted through the white stuff, moving to the nearest structure- a fort.

As they approached, Spyro saw a few of the local soldiers sitting guard. They spotted the Marines and groaned out a challenge. They dashed at them, their swords gleaming in the sun.

The Marines immediately lit up the seeming calm of the snowy landscape with the CRACKS of their automatic weapons. A few fired in single shots or small triple bursts, but nonetheless, bullets flew from their weapons and collided into the oncoming wave. The snow around them was picked up and the skeleton soldiers were snapped in half as bullets sliced through their armor like paper and cut their bones into pieces.

The area the Marines were on gave them an advantage. As they sat on the higher ground, the soldiers had to climb a slope to get to them. Along their right side their was a few trees which Spyro used to his advantage. He walked along those trees, just behind them to conceal himself. There was a small trench which dipped between the trees and ran parallel to each other. He used that to move along to their flank and waited until the next group came to reinforce the soldiers from the fort. The Marines already had that initial ground under control.

Just like Spyro thought, another group of soldiers left the fort and dashed to the Marines atop the bluff. Spyro dashed out in front of them and blew a fireball at the first three that emerged, getting their attention. They roared out and a few threw spears at him. Spyro remembered the last time that happened and rolled into the snow, letting it soften the impacts.

He shook the frost off and fired off his Earth blast. The shotgun like blast of energy blew the ones nearing him into the snow, shattering their armor and bones underneath. More came, swords at the ready.

Spyro groaned before whipping his tail, flinging snow into their vision to temporarily blind them. They tried to wipe it away but Spyro grabbed the first one, bit the arm holding the sword and threw the soldier into the others. Spyro used his muzzle to grab the sword's handle as it lay in the snow and brought it up. He ran at the ones nearing and used it to deflect their sword blows. He then whipped his tail around once more, using them as a target instead of the snow. His tail knocked them down and Spyro discarded the sword before unleashing a white hot jet of fire which consumed the soldiers.

The soldiers ran around, trying to extinguish the fire, but it burned them until their charred bones tumbled into the snow and Spyro blew out a small cloud of smoke from his nostrils. He was done playing games. It was time to get down to business. The Marines had dispatched the other group by now and ran alongside Spyro.

They turned to the fort, which was erupting in chaos. The doors flew open and a blast sent the soldiers in a heap of charred bones. Out of the smoke emerged Roxy and her Lion companion who walked in a triumphant manner.

"What took you guys so long to get here?" She asked. The lion huffed.

"That was too easy." It said.

"Holy crap it talks…" One of the Marines said.

"Everything here already does, why not?" Another chipped in.

The Lieutenant walked to the front of the group.

"C'mon, it's this way!" He said and they ran in unison after him.

The grey clouds drew nearer and Spyro knew they didn't have much time left to spare. They entered the fortress and entered a network of tunnels underneath the fortress and passed underneath a glacier throughout its ice filled caverns. Spyro hoped they could get to the bottom of this in time…

0924 Hours

[GPS Offline- interference from area detected. Error- 22543//a3 Marine Recon Team En Route]

"How's he holding up?" The Medic asked, walking to Aaron. Zephyr felt his scales.

"He's cold; we need to get him out of here." Zephyr responded.

"We need to radio back to the _Typhus_…" A Marine said.

"We can't. Something's interfering our radio signals. We're limited to short wave radio and even then it's choppy at best." The Sergeant said with a sigh.

They sat in their shelter as some walked outside and set up guard posts. Krypto walked in with a bit more wood and food which they burned and prepared over the fire in the middle of the room they were in.

The snow flurries picked up a bit, not enough to cause alarm amongst the men sitting in the room. They heard some gunfire though and that alerted them. They all sat up and scanned the area.

"Anyone know where that came from?"

"Not that I know of…"

"Well let's go check it out…" With that the Marines gathered their gear and walked over to the source. They went to the caverns they had used to enter this building. As they were about to enter the cavern, several grublins leapt out of it and attached themselves onto a Marine and onto Zephyr as he neared. Zephyr placed his paw on the attacker and forced down, even as it sank its teeth into his skin.

The Marine did the same except four more leapt onto him and his body went limp as they began to tear him apart. They left the dead Marine and leapt at the others, only to get retaliatory fire from the Marines' weapons as well as Krypto's incinerating fire breath.

The Marines retreated to the back of the room as Grublins swarmed out of the hole. Krypto stood his ground, even as they crawled all over him. Zephyr tossed the Grublin that had attacked him away, kicking it with his legs.

Suddenly a grenade explosion rocked the room and a jet of fire came from the cave. The remaining Grublins sucumed to the fire and as the smoke settled, they saw a dragon sitting just beyond. A few Marines emerged from the clouds and Spyro came right after them, Roxy and her lion close behind.

"Spyro!" Zephyr yelled as he saw the purple dragon. Spyro smiled and walked over to them.

"Didn't expect you guys to follow." He said as he stood next to Krypto who whipped the blood from his side.

"Well you weren't exactly in fighting condition…" Zephyr said.

"Where's Aaron?" Spyro asked.

"He's not well…" Krypto said while walking away from the group. More then anything, Krypto just hated being surrounded by others.

"Wait, you said Aaron right?" Roxy said as she walked over.

"Yeah. Why?" Zephyr cocked an eyebrow at the question

"Oh my gosh, where is he?"

"You know him?"

"We're good friends."

"He's in the other room, but he's sick." Zephyr said while pointing to one of the adjacent rooms. She walked off towards it and Spyro followed. The rest of the Marines followed as well.

Aaron was cooped up next to the fire in the middle of the room, a Medic nearby monitoring his condition. Roxy walked over but the Medic raised his hand, issuing her to keep her distance.

"He needs rest. His condition will get worse unless he sleeps." The Medic explained. Roxy sighed and the lion walked over next to Aaron, lying down and nuzzling his fur against Aaron. The sleeping dragon smiled and muttered something: "Tom…" the Lion- Tom- smiled and kept him warm.

"Damn it… radios still won't work." The Marine Lieutenant said as he tapped at his earpiece.

"There's something about this world… some areas that our radio signals go out completely and others where it's just fine…" The Sergeant said.

"Magical field?" Zephyr suggested. He knew nothing of mechanics, or even what a radio was. Though he just wanted to throw something out there. The Marines both looked at him.

"Normally I'd refer you to a doctor but you don't know how possible that sounds right now…" The Lieutenant said while drooping his head low.

Spyro walked into the room with Roxy and Zephyr.

"Well we need to find this temple… and find out what they're up to…" Spyro said and the Marines nodded.

"Temple?" The Sergeant asked.

"Looks like we have some explaining to do." The Lieutenant said with a chuckle.

1014 Hours

[GPS Offline- Source of Interference Unknown. Local Radiation spike detected// 33266d3f22]

"There it is…" The Lt. whispered as he lay in the snow with a pair of binoculars honed in on a large open silver doorway leading into a glacier. In between them and the open doorway, there was a large field with several Apes inside of it.

Spyro nuzzled in the snow, watching. The Marines beside him got into position as well, getting ready for the eventual assault. Zephyr, Krypto, Roxy and Tom sat in the snow as well, waiting for Spyro to move. The super chilled air splashed against his scales, making his mind react even faster as it kept him focused. The lack of pain also helped him think, but his thoughts were interrupted by the thought of Cynder… sitting in the Medical Bay of the _Typhus_… he wanted to see her badly… now more then ever…

He tried not to think of it and instead nodded to one of the Marines who threw a grenade out into the mass of Apes moving about. The grenade detonated and five were enshrouded in the black and orange cloud. Snow plumed up from the explosion, sending it everywhere and coating nearby Apes in frost.

The Apes soon spotted the attackers and the Marines opened up. Spyro, Roxy, Tom, Zephyr and Krypto ran out of their positions and charged the Apes, the Marines now shifting their fire to allow this.

Zephyr kicked an Ape while Roxy used her bow and arrow to nail two. Krypto slashed his claws and batted one away while Tom pounced on a group, tearing them apart. Spyro used his horns to smack one away while charging. He didn't have time for these guys. He had to get inside.

Ignoring the battle, he did just that.

While the others remained outside, Spyro dashed into the silver hallways of the temple. After the entrance, it headed down deeper with an inclined ramp. A long hallway then ensued, revealing that the structure went deep into the glacier it was imbedded into.

As Spyro went he noted the lack of Apes inside and finally came to a large room with a structure in the center. The structure housed a black crystal that spat a beam of darkness to a receptor on the ceiling. As Spyro neared the crystal, he felt cold. He back off as the crystal gave off large amounts of dark energy.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Spyro heard a nearby voice and looked off. It was Fang's. Spyro bore his teeth and saw the black dragon emerge from behind the black crystal. Fang smiled at him.

"So sorry my Master couldn't show. He is attending to business somewhere else. Is nice to see you nice and rested Spyro. I thought it was time we had a chat."

"There's nothing to talk about." Spyro said simply.

"Well then I'll do the talking… or rather asking…" Fang said while smashing Spyro against the wall with his tail. Spyro cringed with the impact and the air flushed out of his lungs, causing him to rasp as he tried to regain his breath.

"Why is it… that every purple dragon has come to terms with their destiny… and yet you continue to refuse it?" Fang inquired as he brought his eyes to meet Spyro's.

"Because… it is… wrong… The Great Cleansing… cannot happen… or this…" Spyro said in reply.

"Because it is wrong." Fang smiled at the statement.

"What is more wrong, allowing species to kill each other off or ending it nicely, paving the way for a new plain of existence? What is more wrong, seeing others suffer or trying to find a solution to it? What is more wrong, being assigned a duty by your ancestors or denying it, endangering everyone?!"

"What are you…"

"The Purple Dragon is more then just a… 'Beacon of Hope.' The purple dragon is the guardian and protector of the Final Weapon of Darkness. The Final Solution. He is the sole protector and is entrusted with its power. Malefor is fulfilling his duty by raising it from its depths… and using its power to its fullest… Malefor may not trust the forces at work… but he knows that this weapon can change everything…" Fang tossed Spyro aside and he skidded across the metal floor, splotches of blood coming from his opened wounds.

"We can end this all right now… all these wars… all these fights… all this conflict… by ending it now, and starting anew. It is the duty of the purple dragon to fulfill. Malefor is ready to do it… and yet you are hesitant."

"You're killing innocent lives! You're going to wipe them all out!" Spyro pleaded, trying to get through to Fang.

"There is no such thing as innocence… Humans live to destroy… Lakadors live to rule… and dragons are the middle ground… we are the ones to stop this wave of destruction before their war wipes everyone out… it is… the only way…"

"No!" Spyro fired a beam of energy at Fang but he flapped his wings and canceled it out. Fang smashed his claws into the ground, sending a shockwave to Spyro which sent him flying into a wall. Spyro coughed as blood oozed from his wounds, the foam in his arm now coming loose and pain rocking his body. He could hardly stand up now.

Spyro tried anyway. He urged with every muscle in his body to keep upright. He felt the cold feeling of blood running down his scales and he heard the drip sounds that came from it hitting the ground. Fang let out a loud laugh.

"Thanks to the Apes, we were able to make these crystals… and they are going to help us a great deal… even without your help, we can end this once and for all. You have no choice but to submit…"

"N…no…" Spyro said, a small stream of blood coming from his mouth. Fang kicked him and Spyro went limp from the kick and fell to the floor. Fang grabbed him, shot a hole in the roof and flew out into the bright sky.

Fang tossed Spyro into the now forming snow storm that was whipping the area. Blood stained the snow and Fang laughed as the Marines in the area fired their rifles at him, not even noticing Spyro. Fang was about to retaliate against the humans when a beam of black nailed his chest. He snarled and did a back flip. Once he recovered, he saw who had hit him.

Spyro, his neck numb, couldn't turn his head to see who fired that. Fang did, and roared out before more beams flew at him. He flew off into the sky and disappeared amongst the blowing snow that was now obscuring his vision.

Spyro tried to move his head but he felt nothing. Suddenly he saw something in the snow flurries in front of him. They were Nighthawks, landing in the snow and he saw figures walk out of them.

He saw a figure land in the snow nearby and walk towards him. He squinted his eyes and saw a black dragoness standing before him. It was Cynder.

A Marine ran up beside her, his face a bit concealed by a cloth. The Marine pulled it down to reveal himself as Wagner. He looked at Spyro with a look of astonishment.

"MEDIC!" Wagner called out right before Spyro lost consciousness.

End of Chapter 15

Krypto belongs to Kryptangel92

Aaron belongs to Dragonfreak1112

Zephyr belongs to Dragonheart666666

Roxy and Tom belong to Roxydragoness

Spyro belongs to Sierra Entertainment

Fang and the Marines belong to me


	16. Uneasy Relaxation

Chapter 16: Uneasy Relaxation

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

March 9, 2204

1344 Hours

[GPS Online- Disturbance removed from local area] Medical Bay, B Deck, UERNF Frigate _Typhus_

A low groan filled the room and at once all eyes were on the lone dragon sitting in a medical bed.

"Spyro?" A black dragoness, Cynder asked as she neared the bed. Spyro shifted and opened his eyes, seeing Cynder. She smiled at him and he groaned as pain assaulted his head.

"Rest now Spyro…" Spyro lifted his head and saw Terredor walking nearby, others standing nearby as well.

Karson, Allison, Wagner, Krypto, Zephyr and Sparx near his bed. Roxy and Tom sat on the next bed, Aaron sound asleep in it. They both looked at him though and Spyro rubbed his head. His body had lots of bandages. He groaned and sat up, getting a sigh from Terredor.

"Well it's good to see you alive." Wagner said as he walked up.

"Yeah, the doctors didn't know if you'd be able to make it when we brought you in. You had lost a lot of blood." Cynder said with a concerned look.

"Cynder never left your side since we brought you." Karson said.

"When… was that?" Spyro asked.

"2 days ago man, you've been in a coma since." Zephyr chipped in. Cynder hugged Spyro.

"You need to stop going off on your own… you have allies… we're in this together."

Spyro sighed and tried to get off the bed. Everyone came to help him but he was already on the floor. Wagner sighed.

"Well since I doubt your going to rest, follow me. We have some information for you guys." Wagner said and motioned for them all to leave. Spyro and Cynder glanced at each other and shot each other warm smiles before walking out of the medical bay. They passed through several halls and rode a lift down another deck. They walked past a few more bulkheads and doors until a sign above a door read: Bridge- All Unauthorized Personnel Keep Out.

They walked inside and found themselves in a circular room with many computer screens and officers sitting in chairs. In front of them a large window revealed Warfang sitting beneath them. In the middle of the room, there was a large screen with images that danced across it. A Human in a white uniform and cap stood at the screen and turned around to face the saluting Wagner. Another Marine stood next to the white clad human. But unlike Wagner, this soldier had a more 'dressy' look to him and had a different symbol on his helmet. It was Colonel Dyke.

"Good to have you all here. Just in time to." The man in white said.

He pressed a button on a panel and an image of a crystal popped up on the screen. He pressed another and a map of the Dragon Realms appeared before them. Dyke pointed to the crystal.

"Spyro, this crystal you found at Dante's Freezer, it is very important. The Marines destroyed the one there but from what we've put together and from scans, we've deciphered its purpose." Dyke nodded to the man in the white uniform. Spyro saw a small tag on his uniform which read 'Captain Hardings'

"The crystal outputs a large dosage of Gamma level radiation. However, unlike the spectrum in which Gamma operates, it releases a different array of radiation. This is very different then Gamma level radiation. Unlike Gamma which destroys cellular structures, it rebuilds them in a different and very peculiar way." He explained.

"Did… anyone catch that?" Sparx said.

"He says that the crystal is shooting out a wave of energy that is very powerful." Spyro said and Sparx looked at him dumbfounded.

"Well why didn't he just say that?!" Sparx said as he buzzed around.

"The Crystal sends a wave of this radiation through the ground and bounces it back, like a form of sonar. We believe the Dark Master is using these to map the ground to find the Final Solution faster." He continued.

"Great… that means he can kill us faster…"

"No… it just means he can find it faster. Until he pulls the weapon off of standby, it's remaining in the ground. If he does, it will rise to the surface and he will be ready where it rises to take the weapon." They looked to find Diablo walking onto the bridge, his chest full of wounds and scratch marks.

"The crystal…" Dyke continued. "Also has a secondary effect other then acting like a sonar for mapping the crust…" He pointed to another chart of the Dragon Realms and took a deep breath.

"It also disrupts radio frequencies and from recon reports, causes the local natives to become hostile and in some cases, loyal to the Dark Master himself."

"So… what does this mean?" Roxy asked as she looked over the charts. Dyke eyed her carefully before continuing.

"Simple, we stop the Dark Master by destroying these crystals." Dyke said as he turned to face the group once more.

"And after that, what?" Spyro asked as he stood forward.

"After that we move back to the volcano, I may have a plan to stop Malefor once and for all." Diablo said as he looked Spyro over.

"What is that plan?"

"In due time. Right now I need to go and ensure we can use my plan. I am counting on you guys to stall Malefor until then."

"Right. We are picking up crystals all over the Realms. We'll take out the local crystals to buy you time to set up this plan." Dyke said. Diablo nodded and left the bridge.

"Where's the nearest crystal? I want to take it out." Spyro said, walking up.

"Hold on there Spyro, you're in NO condition to fight. I have already dispatched 2 teams of HACOs to take out that crystal. You need to rest. Go down to the temple, enjoy yourself." Dyke said, destroying the young dragon's enthusiasm.

Spyro sighed and Cynder nudged him.

"C'mon Spyro, let's go check out the Temple more. You need to rest a bit, it'll be fun!" Cynder said to him. He sighed but smiled at her. Together they left the bridge.

"The rest of you, make sure they get rest. Something tells me we need Spyro alive." Dyke said before ushering the rest to leave.

1628 Hours

Dragon Temple, City of Warfang

Spyro walked through the gardens with Cynder, admiring the flora as they pasted through the lush environment. The light broke through the leaves and cast its light upon them, getting a bright reflection from their scales.

Cynder walked over to a couple of flowers and looked at them before walking off the path and into a few patches of grass and bushes. Spyro followed and suddenly he lost track of her. He could hear rustling nearby, but he couldn't see her.

"Cynder?" Spyro asked. Spyro walked through the leaves, his wounds starting to drone a constant ache which he winced at but ignored.

Suddenly he heard a large amount of movement to his right and turned his head to see Cynder leap out of the bush and tackle him. He yelped in surprise and was knocked down and they both rolled into a nearby pond. Spyro emerged first, gasping for air. Cynder came up right after him, laughing.

Spyro smirked and slashed the water with his claw, sending some at Cynder. She giggled as it splashed against her and she returned it.

"Hey, no fair!" Spyro said as he laughed and splashed more water at her. She laughed and flicked her tail in the water, sending even more water at Spyro. He laughed and splashed even more water, laughing the whole time.

Spyro noticed that she had sealed her eyes and he submerged himself in the pond. Cynder opened her eyes to find Spyro missing and looked around. Suddenly she caught sight of a purple blob under the water and watched curiously as it flowed near her. Suddenly she realized what she was looking at and was nearly startled when Spyro flew from the water and grabbed a hold of her.

They both went out of the water and were both sent rolling onto the grass and into a more bushy part of the gardens near a small river. The waters of the river flowed smoothly away and as Spyro got himself off of Cynder he plopped onto the grass nearby. Cynder was exhausted and she looked at him before smiling.

"Spyro… you work too hard… you just need to rest…" She said as she reached over with a claw and ran it along his face. He smiled and sighed.

"Cynder, the more I rest the more the Dark Master has to use the Final Solution… I can't let him do that… I can't…" Spyro said while looking at the sky above him. Cynder sighed sadly but didn't lose hope.

"Spyro, the harder you try, the more you're going to get hurt. We need you. We all do. The humans… our friends… they can cover while you're resting. Everybody needs a break, even you." She gave a light punch to his gut and he smirked and smiled.

"Besides, I can't let you have all the fun now can I?" She said and he gave a low chuckle.

"Guess not." He said with a smile. The cool winds swept through the area and Spyro sighed as the bright light from the sun began to dry their scales. A cool crisp wind blew in from above and Spyro smiled as it felt great against his abused scales and skin.

It was funny how things had occurred. Here Spyro was, snuggling with the very dragon that only 3 years ago dominated the land with an iron fist. She was the terror of the skies and the one who threatened everything. It was a horrible situation… now… she was lying beside him… and he couldn't be any happier… All he wanted… was to be with her. He was scared for her… that he may have lost her… but she was safe. For how long, he didn't know. But for now, he just wanted to enjoy every moment of it.

Cynder sighed as she lay right next to Spyro. His scales reflected the light from the river and they danced in an elegant pattern which caused Cynder to look upon him with interest.

She began to call upon the past and she remembered herself as the evil Cynder, the one who had once dominated the land with an iron fist. Her memories then jumped to when she was battling Spyro. She remembered the battle as though it were yesterday. She could still feel the hate flowing through her just as it had that day. She then watched as Spyro defeated her and she was free of the Darkmaster's influence. She remembered when she was being flung into the portal of Convexity and was about to be sent to join the Darkmaster when she felt tender paws grab her and pull her out. She remembered the feeling of those tender paws the most, for they were those of her ally, her love, and her dragon. They were Spyro's.

She had felt a feeling of joy then and she was feeling one now. That was the first time anyone had really cared for her and she remembered the flood of emotions she had had back then. For all she could remember before that moment, all she could feel were hate and blackness. All she knew was chaos and destruction. All of her being was evil.

Now, she was fighting alongside the very dragon she once was out to destroy. Now, she loved that very dragon who had pulled her from the abyss that was her former self and now, now she had a choice and she chose to love and fight alongside that dragon. That dragon was her love and her very life. He had saved her many times and she had done saved him as well. They were bounded together by their love and she knew that he felt the very same thing.

They both sat in the still environment until they both heard a distant thud. They both stood up and shook off a feeling of sleepiness and Cynder motioned towards the dojo, inviting Spyro to join her. He nodded and dashed off with her, entering the dojo once more. The statue sat towering over them and there were a pair of moles in the room. There were also three Marines in the area, walking and talking to each other, their rifles close at hand.

They walked to the opposite end and onto the balcony to find Karson, Allison and Zephyr standing there. Spyro and Cynder walked over and they caught the attention of the others who looked over and motioned for them to join them.

"So, feeling a bit better Spyro?" Allison asked.

"I'm a bit tired, but fine." He said in reply. She chuckled as the bandages on him suggested otherwise.

"What're you looking at?" Cynder asked, walking up to Karson who stood near the end of the railings.

"We were just admiring the view of the city." Karson said as he looked out.

"Hey, what's that?" Cynder said while pointing towards an airborne object off in the sky. Karson saw it too; he leaned forward and squinted his eyes. The Marines near a large Anti-Aircraft emplacement installed atop a rooftop also saw it. They dashed to activate the weapon and the object in question screeched through the sky. It flew over the city and it took them a second to realize it was on a collision course with the Frigate.

Karson grabbed his rifle just as the rouge object smashed into the right side of the Frigate. Being a small object, it didn't do serious damage to the ship. It did leave a small black mark along its hull and the Frigate was now aware of this new danger.

"It's an attack!" Zephyr said with a snarl.

More of these objects flew through the sky, smoke trails right behind them. Gunfire rose from the city and nailed several of them but the others flew downwards towards the city. They smashed into buildings, causing them to collapse and catching fire to city streets. UERNF Ravens streaked through the sky in response, their missiles and 40 mm auto-cannons shredding the enemy artillery.

The AA battery just nearby on the rooftop sprang to life, empty cartridges flying from the weapon as it ate through its ammunition. An artillery piece screeched nearby and was blown apart as the gunfire collided with it.

Another flew through the air right above them. It flew over the temple and they heard a THUD as it hit near them.

"C'mon, it looks like it hit in the Gardens!" Spyro said. The others didn't waste any time and dashed with Spyro to the dojo entrance. They passed through the dojo and through the halls. They finally exited to the Gardens where they saw a smoke column rising nearby. They heard the nearby sound of gunfire and knew something was amiss.

As they branched off from the main path and onto a side one they arrived at a fallen statue and a small metallic sphere which had crashed into the ground, fire and smoke rising from it. Two Marines were nearby, one firing his M74D onto the crash site while the other wielded an M10 SMG. Four civilian moles ran from the crash site, all females and all dashing for safety.

The group halted their sporadic charge, satisfied that there was aid on hand dealing with the situation. They nonetheless slowly approached the scene.

Without warning, a large creature clad in black armor rose from the crater. It brought its right arm to bear, revealing that it had a weapon for an arm. A bolt of dark energy flew from it and collided with the Marine wielding the M74D. The soldier yelled out in pain and the energy passed right through him and smashed into a wall behind him, detonating in a fury of black energy.

The other Marine retreated, blindly firing his SMG from the hip as he ran. Another warrior in black armor rose from the crater and this one held onto a sword and shield. The one with a cannon for an arm was a few feet higher then the Marines and its armor was of pure black. Spyro swore they were made of nothing but solid dark energy. Their eyes were bright yellow and beamed a ray of hate at them group.

The retreating Marine regrouped with them and Spyro dashed at them. However, Cynder cut him off.

"Wait, let's do this together!" She said. Spyro nodded and they ran off towards them. Karson opened up with his M74C and Allison unleashed several ice shards from her hands.

The one with the cannon hid behind a massive shield it carried and fired another few bolts of energy in quick succession. The bolts smashed into the ground, kicking up dirt and some of them detonated and blew rocks in several directions.

The smaller one with the sword rushed Karson and swung its sword at him. Karson moved his rifle up and caught the sword with his rifle as he moved it into a defensive position. The creature put amazing force into the attack, which caused Karson to grunt as he tried his hardest to repel the attacker but to no avail.

The creature applied even more strength and Karson fell onto the ground and was forced to roll out of the way as it brought another blow down. Karson put his palms in the air and fire ignited and flew at the enemy soldier. The fire caught it but didn't show any signs of effectiveness.

As Allison kept using ice shards, they kept shattering against the soldier, however, a few cracked at the black armor that the enemy wore. This gave her an idea.

"Karson! Get back!" She yelled. Karson turned to her and quickly got to his feet and jumped out of the way.

Allison raised her M74D and fired a long burst into the creature. The creature staggered back and large clouds erupted from it as the rounds impacted it. Finally after a few rounds the creature shattered in an explosion of dark haze. Karson recovered himself and grabbed his M74C.

Zephyr has already gone off and was aiding Spyro and Cynder who were dealing with the other creature. It fired more shots in quick succession and Spyro flew upwards to avoid. Spyro used his earth blast, but to no avail. As Spyro floated in mid-air testing attacks, he was smacked downwards but the creature's shield. He skidded into the dirt and Cynder hovered in the air, shadow breath leaving her muzzle and striking the dark soldier. It was as useless as throwing rocks at the creature.

Zephyr flied above it but was also knocked out of the air and skidded to a halt near Spyro.

"How do you kill this thing?!" He asked. Spyro wished he knew the answer.

All of a sudden, the shield the creature carried detonated, shattering as a cloud of orange and black consumed the creature. The smoke cleared to reveal the creature lacking a shield and pointing his cannon at them. Bullets flew from someone and peppered the creature, stalling it.

Spyro leapt to, firing several earth blasts in quick succession. The blasts weakened the already strained armor and the soldier shattered in front of Spyro in a black haze.

They turned to see Wagner and two other Marines approaching. One of the Marines had a tube attached to the underside of their rifle where the regular grip was.

"Lieutenant… what's going on…?" Karson asked as Wagner approached.

"There're pods like this landing all over Warfang. The Dragons and other warriors are clearing them out while the Marines are guarding the temple. So far we've contained this attack." Wagner kicked a chunk of what used to be a creature.

"This was easy… almost too easy… I don't like it." He said and they shot curious glances all around.

"Where are the others?" Cynder asked.

"Krypto, Aaron, Tom and Roxy are clearing the lower levels of the temple from one that hit the base." Wagner said.

A high pitched screech filled the immediate area which caused everyone to cover their ears and look around frantically for the culprit.

All eyes turned to the crater to see a small black skinned scaly creature that had piercing yellow eyes and was about a half the size of a regular Human, or about taller then Spyro. Its appendages all looked specially made to slice… and its teeth were visible as it screeched. More came out of the crater and leapt out at the group.

"What the hell are those guys?!" Karson yelled as he fired his M74C.

"Hell if I know, just kill them!" Wagner yelled in return. The soldiers fired their rifles while Spyro unleashed a wave of fire upon the new hostiles, causing them to screech aloud.

The creatures moved about, latching onto a Marine and refusing to let go. They bit the soldier on the neck and the soldier yelled in pain. The soldier fell over to the ground, black liquid oozing from his wound. The creatures released him and leapt out towards the others, electing an ice barrage from Spyro which froze all of the hostiles.

Zephyr rushed forward and smashed each one as he ran by. The scene then resumed its calm and they looked about, searching for any other contacts.

"Look out!" One Marine yelled and a lone creature leapt up onto Wagner and grabbed a hold of his neck. It was trying to bite him but he moved his hand to hold its head.

"Get it off! Get it off!" He yelled. They moved around him, aiming their weapons at him.

"I can't get a clear shot!" Allison said as she raised her hands for an ice shard. Cynder reacted and leapt onto Wagner as well, sinking her teeth into the hostile. She ripped it from Wagner and threw it to the ground, stabbing it with her tail. The creature faded away in a black haze, as did the other creatures.

"Thanks…" Wagner said as he rubbed his neck.

"Medic! Corpsmen!" The other Marine yelled as he walked to the Marine who had been bitten. The others rushed to his side and saw that there was some odd black liquid coming from his neck.

"Take him to the landing pad and get him moved to the _Typhus_!" Wagner said and the other two Marines nodded and grabbed him to move him. The other Marine who had been hit by the dark energy was obviously dead so they didn't move him.

"We need to make sure that's the last of them!" Cynder said and Wagner nodded. Karson and Allison carefully approached the crash site with their rifles out, Wagner close behind. Spyro, Cynder and Zephyr went airborne and flew over the sight.

"See anything?" Wagner asked.

"No! Looks like we got them!" Cynder yelled back.

"That was close…" Karson said as he wiped a few grains of dirt from his armor.

"What were those things?!" Cynder asked as she landed.

"I don't know… some of the Marines assaulting said they encountered difficult and 'elite' enemies that they nicknamed shadow drones. I think these might be them." Wagner said as he inspected one of the shattered crystals from one of them.

"These things must be some sort of dispersal pod or something…" Allison said as she pointed to the object in the crater.

"If it was an attack, why didn't they go all out and send more?" Spyro asked, walking up.

"Maybe it was a probe attack… to test our defenses…" Zephyr suggested.

"Maybe…" Wagner said with a grunt.

"Is anyone hurt? What happened?" They looked up to see Terredor fly down, Cyril and Volteer flying high above and towards other areas of interest.

"No, we're fine. We've repelled them here. How're things else where?" Wagner asked while checking the ammo in his weapon.

"The dragons managed to take out many of these things before they hit the ground… and we've also taken out those 'drones' before they did damage. However, some were bitten by some of the smaller creatures and are in a state of shock."

"Try to get who you can aboard the Typhus and we'll see what we can do! We think that this was a probe attack; there might be more on the way!"

"Right, I'll alert the dragons to do patrols to find the source of our attackers." With that, Terredor flew off into the sky and Wagner let out a sigh.

"So much for resting…" Cynder said lowly.

"We've got bigger things to worry about now…" Zephyr said sadly.

"The rest of you go to the dojo and stay in there, I'm going to find out what I can from Dyke!" Wagner ordered and the others retreated to the dojo. However, Spyro halted his movements and, while nobody was looking, jumped into the bushes in search of that secret location.

1723 Hours

A Deck, Maintenance Passage 23-112A, UERNF _Typhus_

"Where is this again?"

"Just down these corridors. It hit and penetrated the hull, so expect much debris."

2nd Repairs Officer David Moarbay walked through the hallways in his repair suit. An object had slammed into the hull of the Typhus and had penetrated. In the process it had cut through a number of pipes and other systems in that area which was tampering with power for the AA weapons near this deck.

He and Torkamien were ordered to check it out and repair whatever needed repairs. As they walked through the pitch black hallways, the lights on their helmets illuminating the passage in front of them, they heard groaning as the hull was stressed from the entry.

They passed through a door and found their entry- a large object rammed through the hull and had smashed a number of auxiliary lines running to the AA guns. Though it was minor in terms of hull integrity, the Captain wanted those weapons online and ready incase of an attack.

They knelt down next to some busted lines and Torkamien looked them over.

"Yeah, definably going to need replacements. First off we have to remove this object and then find a way to get these lines replaced." He said and sighed as he stood up.

"Radio back to the Security Station, tell them to send a team of technicians to help us-" As he said this, something grabbed him and pulled him into darkness. The man screamed and Moarbay walked backwards in fear. He drew his pistol and aimed it to the darkness. A screech came out of the darkness and it was followed by a creature that leapt from it.

Moarbay shouted and ran down the halls as it leapt out, followed by more creatures. He fired his pistol as he retreated and passed through a doorway. Creatures leapt onto him and dragged him onto the floor. Struggling, he shot the door controls to the bulkhead just ahead of him. The damaged system automatically started to seal the door, causing the large bulkhead to seal shut. They were trapped there. And as he fired the last shot at a creature, they dragged him into the darkness… and onto an unknown fate.

End of Chapter 16

Krypto- Kryptangel92

Aaron- Dragonfreak1112

Zephyr- Dragonheart666666

Tom/Roxy- Roxydragoness

Spyro, Cynder and all related charas- Sierra Entertainment

Everyone else- me


	17. Covert Hunt

Chapter 17: Covert Hunt

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

March 9, 2204

1218 Hours

Skies above 'Hadrian's Cove'

"Alpha, this is Echo, we are en route."

"Copy that, 10 to dirt."

"We are seeing some chop just north of the Drop Zone, over."

"Copy, keep pushing, we'll keep in the air for close air support, over."

"Roger."

Two Nighthawks flew through the cloudy skies and the brisk waters beneath passed on by as the drop ships soared at 10,000 feet. The troop bay doors were sealed shut and the fluffy clouds parted as the drop ships flew through them.

The two drop ships sailed onwards, a small island cove started to become more visible. Trees and rocks were coming into view, waves from the ocean splashing into them.

The drop ships lowered in altitude and they flared their jets as they came closer to the cove. The drop ships flew to the top of the cliff that separated the forest above from the waters beneath. The doors came open and the black clad HACO soldiers came out of the drop ship.

"Go, check your corners!" One of them said in a low whisper. The others nodded and walked forward. The black clad soldiers ran in crouched positions and another figure stepped off the Nighthawk, his bow at the ready. Hunter of Avalar stood in the midst of the soldiers, his expertise in the terrain vital to the mission at hand.

The mountain forest terrain played out before them, whisps of wind kicking small pockets of dirt and making them airborne. The scene had a hidden layer of beauty… even under its layer of grey colors; the forest retained a sense of natural wonder and awe. However, this was at the back of the mind of HACO soldier Corporal Thomas Anderson. At least, it should have been. Each HACO had been trained to zone out every distraction and focus completely on the mission. However, that didn't mean he didn't enjoy the terrain…

The soldiers sat in crouched positions as the Nighthawks flew upwards, Hunter slowly going forward and looking the terrain over before motioning for them to head down the path. The lead HACO, Lieutenant Shaun, nodded and motioned his men forward.

Anderson watched as an objective marker appeared on his HUD. The small LED marker told him that they had to head south, up the side of a mountain and deeper into the mountain forest. Their objective- destroy the Dark Crystal that was suspected to be at what the Dragon's referred to as Hadrian's Cove.

The other soldiers ran forward and Anderson had his M74C against his shoulder in the 'stand by' position. He ensured the bayonet attachment was secure and the laser fiber optic sight was in place. With that he followed behind another HACO as they ran down the path.

The wind swept through the area and dust obscured Anderson's vision. His visor kept everything out of his face and his Friend or Foe tagger marked the position of each friendly in his vision with a small LED marker. Ahead of him was Private First Class Jenkins, according to the LED marker labeled on him.

The soldiers black armor was possibly the most advanced ever created. The HACO armor was like that of the Marines', except it used more advanced components. It consisted of a layer of special 'Dragon Skin' Kevlar vests over their uniforms, and over that, a special metal alloy armor. This metal alloy was unlike the Marines' in several key things, one being that it had a special polymer constructed into it. The armor was multi-layered. These layers each contained a liquid gel which had molecular properties that when presented with a force, would bunch up to resist. These layers were leadened together to form a sort of absorbent shock pad. It was tough, and durable. Rifle rounds even had trouble penetrating the armor.

As they walked, they heard sounds that were unnatural. The HACOs walked in cautious footings, the Lieutenant in the group turning to Hunter.

"It is not far… just beyond this ravine." Hunter pointed to a dried up river bed, on its opposite side the elevation up towards the mountain slope began. There looked to be a village atop a cliff just ahead of them.

"1st, we're moving to that village. 2nd and 3rd move along the sides and await my signal." Anderson followed the Lieutenant, being in 1st he had to oblige with the officer's orders.

They climbed the hill, with Hunter close behind. They came to the village to find huts made of wood and stone. It was abandoned.

"Where the hell is everybody?" One of the HACOs asked.

"Dunno, keep a sharp look out." Shaun commanded.

Hunter drew an arrow into his bow and walked cautiously, the HACOs approaching with their weapons in a stand by position.

"Got nothing on thermal." A Sergeant said as he switched on the thermal imaging in his HUD.

"Motion sensors are negative sir, nothings moving."

"Sir, we've got a temporal disturbance in our motion and radar sensors just to the south in that mountain sir. The crystal's probably in there." Jenkins said as he pointed to the mountain just in front of them.

"Copy, we'll worry about villagers later. Let's find a way to neutralize that crystal." Shaun said as he moved forward. As they were leaving the village, they saw some small monkeys gather around the exit. Unlike the Apes at Dante's Freezer, these were more monkey-like and looked more like chimps. However they wore clothing that suggested they were the villagers.

"Greetings Harons, we come to try to rid this land of evil." Hunter said as he approached. The Harons, as Hunter referred to them, snarled at him. They grabbed swords, clubs and other weapons and charged the HACOs. Immediantly the HACOs pointed their weapons at the Harons.

"No, do not attack! They are being corrupted by the crystal!" Hunter shouted as he stood in front of the soldiers.

One of the HACOs dropped the clip he had in his rifle, placed another one with a red strap at the base and pulled the loading lever. He then pointed it at the leading Harons and fired a long burst, bullets hitting the Harons.

"No! What're you doing?!" Hunter asked.

The Harons fell to the ground, but no blood was visible from the hits.

"Rubber rounds, non-lethal." The HACO explained as he fired more rounds at the villagers. The others did the same and the group of villagers was soon all incapacitated.

"Move! Let's go!" Shaun said and they ran towards the mountain.

_"1__st__, this is 3__rd__, Lakador soldiers spotted moving in our direction. 2__nd__ called in and we're both moving to the mountain. Meet you there, over." _The radio clicked off and Shaun nodded. The closer they got to the mountain, the choppier the signal would become.

They dashed into the forest around the village, being rewarded by an array of different sounds. The HACO's crouched down and looked around. One of them undid the rubber rounds and slipped in another clip of ammo- the regular ammunition.

"I have contacts, high!" An HACO said and tagged the hostiles on their HUDs. Anderson looked up and saw a few Harons leaping in the trees, oblivious to the HACOs below. The HACOs held their fire, letting the Harons pass overhead.

"What's off in this direction, anything special?" Shaun asked Hunter who watched the Harons pass overhead.

"A temple, that leads into the mountain. It is regarded as sacred to the Harons and others who reside in Hadrain's Cove." He explained.

"That's our ticket into the mountain then. That's probably where the crystal is located." Shaun said. He motioned the others forward and tagged where the temple would be in their objective markers.

Suddenly they heard sounds around them and an eagle flew down and perched itself on Hunter's arm as he extended it out.

"Lieutenant, he says there are reptilian soldiers approaching fast." Hunter said while turning to Shaun.

"Lakadors… load metal ammo and prepare to engage." He instructed.

The HACOs moved in crouched positions and slowly moved along the forest path. A few bird chirps followed and the eagle that was perched on Hunter's arm looked at Hunter one last time before taking off into the sky.

"Got contacts on thermal, tagging them now." Every HACO saw the tags pop up on their HUDs and saw a few figures moving in the trees beyond. The thermal showed them being cold blooded- reptilians. It was hard to distinguish them from the grass and trees, but it wasn't hard to miss movement.

"Let's try to keep engagement to a minimal. Sergeant, take your squad into the temple and take out that crystal. We'll stay and defend." Shaun whispered to the rest. They nodded and Anderson followed his Sergeant towards the objective marker.

Just as they did, Lakadors burst from the trees and fired globs of dark energy at them. A few nailed an HACO in the chest and revealed that they weren't so much dark energy spheres altogether, but energized miniature crystals that were their equivalent to bullets. Though they also had different weapons with them so that meant that that was probably just one ammo type. The other's probably used pure dark energy.

The soldier grunted as the rounds struck, his armor smoking. Another helped him to his feet, his armor having taken the blow and absorbing the impact. The HACO's fired back, rifle rounds nailing head shots and putting down Lakadors with acute accuracy and efficiency.

Anderson fired off a burst before returning his SMG to the stand by position and dashing with his squad into the temple. The temple was made of stonework and masonry, torches lighting the passageways. They moved inwards until they came to where they were in a huge room. The room had no base, instead the path moved alongside the walls and there were several other passageways crisscrossing the space above them. In the center of the room there was a large platform.

They were underneath the platform so they could only see its base, but they did see a beam of darkness shooting forth from the platform- evidence that a Dark Crystal was there.

"Looks like we're climbing." The Sergeant said. The squad of 5 HACOs moved with Hunter down the path, avoiding fallen statues and rubble. Soon they came to where the path was blocked- the bridge was out. On either side of the fallen bridge there were dragon statues with an imprint suggesting a crystal orb went there.

Two paths branched off from them, one going up via grass ivory on the walls and a secondary moving down to a sub-passage. The Sergeant pointed to Anderson and Jenkins and another HACO, tagged Doslan by his HUD.

"You three, take the vines, we'll go below." Anderson nodded, slung his SMG over his shoulder and climbed the vines. The other two followed and the others went down below.

After a bit of climbing they reached the top of the structure and found several platforms leading over the initial path. At the end they saw a crystal.

Though the platforms were spaced apart quite some and the only way to successfully reach them was to make a perfectly timed jump to a series of moving- or rather floating- platforms circling the main ones.

"Oh boy…" Doslan commented. Anderson sneered inside his helmet and walked over to the edge. He saw the coming platform, counted to three and jumped.

His heart stopped as he went through the air and he felt his boot touch the moving platform. He breathed and grabbed a hold, gaining balance. Then he leapt to the main platform and leapt again to catch the next moving one.

The others looked at each other questionably before leaping to follow.

Finally Anderson made it to the final platform and stumbled. His weight got the better of him and he yelled out as he began to fall over the edge. He felt something grab him and looked up to see Jenkins grab a hold of his hand and pull him back up.

He grunted.

"Thanks…"

Jenkins merely nodded. Though the soldiers had reflective visors over their faces, he knew Jenkins was smiling.

They walked to the platform and Jenkins let out a whistle as they neared the crystal. Doslan grabbed it and grunted as it was heavier then it looked.

Suddenly a few skeletons walked out from holes and let out wails at the HACOs. The skeletons suddenly began to glow and became full flesh- taking the forms of Apes.

"Son of a bitch!" Jenkins yelled before firing his rifle, nailing two headshots in the initial burst.

Anderson brought his SMG up and fired short bursts from the weapon, hitting the Apes in the chest and knocking them over the edge. More came and an elevator came up from below, a ticket back to the statues.

"On the elevator, now!" Anderson shouted. They went without a moment's hesitation and soon the elevator jerked and began to lower. The elevator descended and halted at the base, right next to the dragon statues. Doslan inserted the crystal to the corresponding dragon statue via their color and it gave off a warm glow. Now all they had to do was wait for the Sergeant to arrive with the other.

The Sergeant, another HACO and Hunter roped down to a bottom passageway running underneath the path they had been walking. A door opened before them, showing a long passage with several gated doors. At the end, a crystal that they needed sat.

"Looks easy enough." The Sergeant said.

"We must be cautious… things aren't always as they seem…" Hunter said as he placed his bow over his shoulder.

They walked forward into the passage and the door behind them slammed shut.

"What the…" As soon as the HACO said this, the wall directly behind them sprouted spikes and it started to move forward towards them.

"Quickly, we must move!" Hunter said and the HACOs moved quickly after him. They ran to the gated door just ahead and they tried to open it, but to no avail.

The base of the door was opened just enough for someone to slip under and there was a switch on the other end. The HACO tried to go underneath, but there was a barrier of blackness that kept him from going under.

"Damn, I can't go under!" He said.

"Screw this." The Sergeant said and fired his rifle at the switch on the other side. The switch was manual, which required _someone_ to move it themselves. The weapon did nothing to it, only aggravating the HACOs even more.

All the while the wall was only a few yards from them.

"Shit!" The Sergeant said as he reached into his pack, removed a grapple and tossed it over to the switch on the other side. The grapple's hook caught the bar and the Sergeant pulled down, pulling the switch down with it. There was a click and the door slid open.

"'Bout damn time!" The other HACO said and the Sergeant recovered his grapple and they dashed with renewed speed to the next door. The wall began to pick up speed and they reached the second gated door and did the same trick. The door opened just like the first and they went to the third and final door.

The HACO tossed his grapple at the bar, but a rumble caused it to miss and it landed on the floor. The door had picked up even more speed and within 15 seconds they would be turned into swiss cheese.

"Great!" He said. The Sergeant was trying to get his own grapple out when Hunter grabbed one of his arrows, tied a large piece of debris rock to it and attached a rope to the arrow. He shot it at the bar, scored a hit and pulled down. The rocks attached to the arrow had enough weight to pull the lever down and the door slid open. They gathered the grapples, dashed for the crystal and grabbed it.

The lack of weight on the pedestal caused a door nearby to slide open and an elevator was on the opposite end. They all boarded just in time to see the wall slam into the wall ahead of them. That could have been them… too close…

The elevator rose and they arrived top-side to find the other three HACOs waiting for them to plant the crystal. The grunted, set the crystal down and were rewarded with a burst of light. A bridge extended the gap between the path and they walked across.

The next path went up a large flight of stairs to the second tier of paths. The pedestal was in level with them, but they couldn't get to it from here. The pedestal with the crystal was accessible via drop offs from a path on the third tier. They had some more climbing to do.

The HACOs and Hunter ran across the paths, leaping over holes in the ground, and onto platforms. They passed up that area and arrived at another gap in the path. Next to them, there was what looked like a switch, but it required a key. Anderson looked at it before looking around. How were they going to find a key in this place, especially one that small?

"Start looking." The Sergeant instructed.

"Found it." One of the HACOs said. He tagged it so everyone could find it from their HUD. The key was sitting on top of a pedestal on a platform separated from the main path. Carvings nearby indicated that someone or something was supposed to complete some sort of a flight challenge to unlock the key.

"How the hell are we supposed to get it then, we can't fly."

"But we can cheat." Jenkins said as he pointed to a series of rings nearby. The supposed person supposed to complete the challenge was supposed to nail targets on rings by flying to them. Probably by touching them, like tagging or something. They couldn't fly, but they did have rifles.

Jenkins fired at a target, nailing it. He was rewarded with a piece of bridge that spanned out to the key pedestal.

Anderson, Doslan and the Sergeant fired at the other targets, hitting them and causing more of the bridge to form. The other HACO and Hunter ran across the bridge as it formed.

"If this is a flight challenge, why couldn't the dragon or whoever just fly to the key instead? Or for that matter fly across the gaps?" The HACO asked.

Hunter placed his hand over the edge of the bridge and motioned for the HACO to do the same. The HACO noted the strong wind currents coming up from somewhere.

"Updrafts. They'd immobilize any airborne creature trying to get across. The bridges cover the drafts so they could cross." Hunter said simply. It made sense. The HACO nodded and they ran to the key, grabbed it and ran back across. They arrived back and the HACO placed the key into the switch and turned it. Hunter pulled down on the switch and with a click, a bridge connected like before to span the expanse.

"Good work, let's move." Once more Anderson and the others ran across the bridge and to another flight of stairs. Once more, a gap in a bridge existed. A switch was visible, but it was behind a barrier of some sorts. Next to the barrier, an elemental switch with a fire symbol sat.

"I'm guessing with activate the switch, and the barrier falls?" Jenkins asked.

"Seems so." Hunter said.

"Where are we going to get fire?" Doslan asked.

Anderson smirked and pulled out a grenade. It was an Incendiary Grenade. Anderson pulled the pin and tossed it at the switch. The grenade released a vapor into the air. A small spark ignited the airborne vapor and the torch inside lit up with it.

A red symbol at the base of the barrier lit up and the area rumbled. The HACOs looked around and nearby, a pedestal rose from below and an electric switch was visible on it. Floating platforms moved across the expanse. Anderson sighed. _"Great…"_ He thought. _"More moving platforms…"_

The red bar at the base of the barrier started to get smaller and smaller.

"Guys…" Jenkins said.

"I think we're being timed." He said as they looked at him.

"Looks like we only have 30 seconds!" The Sergeant yelled. A small timer appeared in the corner of their HUDs and Anderson bolted for the platform. He leapt from platform to platform, timing his jumps just right.

He reached the main platform with the switch and came a realization.

"How do I trip it?!" Anderson asked. The timer read 15 seconds.

"Here!" Jenkins threw a blue orb with a lightning mark on it. Anderson caught it.

"Electric grenades, courtesy of the Lakadors!" Jenkins yelled.

Anderson smirked, triggered the grenade and put it on the pedestal. He leapt away as it detonated, 4 seconds on the clock. The switch charged up and a yellow symbol lit up at the base of the barrier. They were rewarded with another switch that rose from the ground, taking position in the center of the group.

It had a wind symbol on it.

The yellow light began to fall as well, indicating they also had 30 seconds to trigger this switch.

"What now, do we blow on it?" Doslan asked.

"Updrafts…" The other HACO muttered. He looked off near the roof and saw a disk shaped statue channeling the updraft towards the center of the room, keeping everything away from above the central platform with the crystal on it.

"Anderson!" The HACO threw a grenade and tagged the disk shaped statue hanging from the roof. Anderson grabbed the fragmentation grenade, saw the tag and threw it. It would miss though…

An arrow sailed as Hunter released the tension he had been building and the arrow caught the grenade and the force from the arrow smacked the explosive right up to the part of the disk shaped statue attached to the ceiling.

The grenade detonated, 12 seconds left.

The statue plummeted and smashed into the pedestal where the electric switch was. Anderson had already safely run for cover.

6 seconds.

The disk shaped statue was facing them, the air rising from the abyss being funneled through its curvature and been channeled towards the switch. It hit the switch and it glowed.

A white light lit up at the barrier and it slowly fell, revealing the switch that would activate the bridge. The Sergeant walked over, pulled down on the switch and once more, a bridge expanded across the abyss, another flight of stairs on the opposite side.

The HACOs and Hunter ran across, climbing to the top to find a horrid scene.

Harons were fighting against Lakadors who were fighting against Apes and another group of creatures the Dragons referred to as Grublins.

They were on the stair platform- which was connected to another which the fight was on. That platform was large. Connected to it was another large platform with a structure on it. Behind the structure's pillars there was another switch. They looked off and saw the platforms overlooking the crystal platform were disconnected from them. To access them, they needed to activate the switch.

"Never easy, is it?" Doslan asked Anderson who frowned.

"No… it never is…" He said lowly.

"Let's push forward, let's go HACOs!" The Sergeant said. Hunter ran to a spot and began to fire arrows, hitting Grublins and Apes, causing them to fall over in a screech of pain.

Anderson and the other HACO took up a crouched position and fired their weapons, Anderson using an SMG while the other using an M78C Carbine. The gunfire blew through a pair of Lakadors that were engaged in what looked like a fist fight with the Harons.

Using short bursts, Anderson hit the Lakadors, and missed the Harons. The Harons fell over as Jenkins and Doslan fired rubber rounds at them. The Sergeant had an M74C and fired at another pair of Lakadors. There was too much confusion and hostiles for them to even realize that they had opened fire. The Sergeant clicked on a switch and a 'Move Forward' icon lit up in their HUD. They nodded and ran towards the hole in the hostiles, Hunter close behind.

The HACOs fired their weapons at the Apes and Lakadors as they moved through, sword fights breaking out all around the charging humans.

They reached the third platform with the structure in the back, against the cave wall. The structure looked like a sort of gate, concealing the switch to access the bridges.

As they crossed, they heard a roar and looked to their left to see a large troll leap from a hole in the cave wall and separate the gap between them and the structure.

"A troll, watch out!" Hunter warned. The large creature smacked Hunter away using its large ball shaped fists and its green grass-like hide flowing from the updraft.

The HACOs immediately fired at the troll, their bullets doing little against its tough hide.

"How do we kill it?" Jenkins asked. Before he was answered, he had to dodge its wild charge at him. Anderson fired off a short burst before rolling out of the way to avoid being crushed as well. The Sergeant moaned as he stood up, just having leapt out of the way of the things wild charge.

The creature ran up and smacked Doslan away, his armor taking the blunt of the hit and he slammed against the structure, a few pieces of the cave roof coming undone from the Troll's slamming.

That gave Anderson an idea as he saw that.

He looked up and to his delight saw a large stalactite hanging from the ceiling and looming over them. It would make a perfect weapon to kill the troll.

Anderson looked around. He had to detach that thing somehow. He lacked a grenade launcher and didn't think he could lob a grenade up there either.

Looking around he saw that Doslan had a grenade launcher attached to his weapon but the soldier was knocked out at the moment.

Anderson ran for the gun, grabbed it and was promptly smacked by the Troll. He skidded across the floor, keeping a hold on the Carbine weapon. The Troll ran over to him, trying to finish the job. The troll raised its claws and Anderson saw that he was right under the stalactite. Perfect…

Anderson brought the Carbine up, pressed the trigger on the Grenade Launcher and a _pop_ sound went off as the grenade left the tube, hit the rock and detonated. The blast broke the spike off its bearings and sent it coming downwards.

The troll let out a howl as the stalactite penetrated him and sliced through him. The troll let out a final groan of defeat and Anderson stood up, bewildered. The structure came down to reveal a series of small ramps leading to the switch that they needed to trip. Hunter leapt to the top and pulled down on the switch.

The two bridges were erected and connected to their platform. They ran over, helping Doslan up along the way. They reached the bridges overlooking the crystal and they all looked down to it.

Jenkins fired his weapon at the crystal, the rounds bouncing off some sort of shield being formed by two crystal statues next to the main crystal.

"We have to take those out first…"

"How?"

"Like this…" Anderson said as he grabbed his grapple and tossed it until it caught a structure on the roof over the crystal. Anderson tugged to ensure a good throw and he jumped. He flew over to the other bridge and along the way, he dropped a live Fragmentation Grenade atop one of the crystals. The grenade detonated and damaged both of them.

Anderson landed on the other side and the others caught his motion. Doslan and Jenkins both tossed their grapples up and held grenades in their hands. They swung over, dropping the grenades.

The grenades exploded and shattered both statues. The crystal was revealed for all to see. Hunter brought his bow and arrow up, his line of sight on the crystal. He released and the arrow smashed into the crystal and shattered it.

The room suddenly shook with energy then calmed down. The Sergeant clicked his Mic.

"Typhus, this is HACO Recon Charlie, do you read over?"

_"This is the Typhus, we read you 5 by 5."_

"Copy, crystal destroyed, returning to base."

_"Roger, Nighthawks inbound."_

The bridges started to lower and they came to rest at the base level. They all walked off and back to the entrance. As they were leaving they saw the other HACOs holding position just outside, dead Lakadors all around. Only two HACOs had been lost.

The trees rustled and Harons leapt from them. The HACOs had their sights on them immediately, but then one of them held up their hands.

"Please, we mean no harm! Not anymore at least… we thank you, for your help." The HACOs lowered their weapons as the Haron spoke. Hunter walked forward.

"We are happy to help. Get your people back to the village; we suspect there are still many hostile creatures around here."

"Thank you so much! We are eternally greatfull!" The Haron, presumably their leader, smiled at Hunter and he returned it. Hunter turned to the Sergeant and smiled at him as well. The HACO's mirrored visor kept Hunter from seeing his face, but he knew he was smiling back… or at least smirking.

"No more puzzles… ever…" Doslan said and the others chuckled. They walked off towards the village with the Harons and awaited the Nighthawks.

End of Chapter 17

Hunter belongs to Sierra Entertainment

Everyone else- Me


	18. Failed Attempt

Chapter 18: Failed Attempt

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

March 9, 2204

1823 Hours

Dragon Temple Gardens

Spyro dashed through the grass, his wounds sending small amounts of pain through him as he passed into the gardens. The night sky was beginning to claim the landscape and the fires from Warfang lit up the sky with their embers and sparks.

He looked around for that secret part of the gardens and saw the familiar waterfall. He glided down to the secret area and landed in the grass. There were no statues around.

He looked around, the cool night air hitting his scales and enticing a feeling of relief from him. His strained muscles hadn't healed fully since his encounter in Dante's Freezer and from his prior engagement. They racked his nerves as his legs felt heavy and his paws felt like iron weights.

A cool whisper of wind slipped into the secret gardens and a few blades of grass swayed in the breeze.

"Hello? Ignitus? Are you there? I need help…" Spyro said into the darkening dusk.

"Young dragon you are not alone… we will always be here to guide you…" Spyro turned to see a familiar statue sitting in the grass. However, unlike Ignitus, it wasn't red. In fact, it looked like the Chronicler.

"Chronicler?" Spyro asked.

"No Spyro, it's me, Ignitus."

"But, this statue…"

"Looks like the Chronicler?" Ignitus finished for him. Spyro nodded.

"That is because… I have become the new Chronicler Spyro." Spyro didn't respond, taking in the statement.

"Since my departure from this world, the Chronicler had given me his position… to watch and record this age… and to give you guidance young dragon…"

"Then what happened to the Chronicler?"

"That, I do not know."

Spyro looked at the statue more and sighed.

"What is it that you needed Spyro, I sense great confusion in you."

"Ignitus… I am confused… all this that's happening… with all this… what is really going on?"

"Perhaps I can shed some light." Spyro saw a pink-purple statue appear in the grass beside Ignitus's. It sounded like Singe's voice.

"Spyro, what is going on is a huge crisis." She explained.

"What is going on? All I know is that the Final Solution is a powerful weapon designed to destroy the world! Why would Malefor want to use it, I don't get it…"

"Spyro… there are bigger forces at work here… bigger then you could ever imagine… Malefor is obviously a tool in this and we're all pawns." She said.

"What force?"

"I'm afraid that I am not sure of myself. The Final Solution was built as a weapon of good, to rid the world of evil… but then _he_ corrupted it and now it is a weapon of darkness. The keys are spread across this world to take it off its Stand By. If Malefor gets them, he can destroy this world and then rule the one that comes out of the ashes."

"Do you know how Diablo wants to stop it?"

"Do not put your full trust in Diablo Spyro…"

"What do you mean, he's going to help stop this!"

"Some of us… disagree on what's best to stop this. Trust your instincts Spyro. They will guide you to victory."

"But…"

"Spyro… you've shown me that you've always made the right decisions and are able to save us, even when it's too late. I'm sure you can pull us out of this one…" Ignitus said. Spyro couldn't see his face, but he knew he was smiling, and so was he.

"But what do I do?"

"Spyro… the purple dragons are the guardians of the Final Solution. It has been their duty since their creation and you and Malefor are the current guardians. You must decide what course of action you must take to save it." Singe said.

"But if we're the Guardians, then why is Malefor going to fire it." Spyro inquired.

"Guardian also pertains to keeper. Not only is it your duty to safe guard it, but you are the keeper of the weapon. Malefor is obviously seeking something more then just its firing. Be careful who you befriend and who you take arms against. In this war, the line between friend and foe is faded. Watch your surroundings, they are constantly changing. Spyro, you must hurry."

"What do I do?"

"Stop Malefor. To do that, you need to locate and destroy his crystals so he cannot find and secure the weapon." Ignitus suggested. Spyro nodded.

"You must hurry Spyro, the armies of darkness converge, and there is evil all around. Proceed with caution." Singe said.

"Be safe, young dragon." Ignitus's voice said just as the statues faded from view. Spyro sat in the grass before his face contorted with determination. He flew out of the secret area and went back to the main path in the Gardens. He saw a few Marines walking around with a pair of cheetahs, a group of moles in line behind them. Spyro had seen little or no dragons in the city. Just how many had been whipped out by Malefor's forces? How many by Cynder? How close were they to being extinct as a species? As these questions flowed through his head, answers seemed farther and farther. Spyro sighed and walked back to the dojo to find the others.

2032 Hours

Skies above Twilight Falls

"So what's it like?"

"To what?"

"To… you know… have wings?" Aaron felt a bit awkward being asked this.

"Well uh… it's… not that different… I can't imagine not having them." He said finally. The Marine sitting in the Nighthawk next to him sighed. Roxy let out a giggle and Tom simply sat quietly in the middle of the troop bay. Krypto flapped his wings as he flew alongside the human aircraft, keeping in formation as the other Nighthawk and Sparrowhawk flew alongside.

The trio of aircraft streaked onwards in the night sky, their lights illuminating the area and preparing for the assault. They were heading to the Enchanted Forest, to find a possible dark crystal and destroy it. Not many of the Dark Master's forces had been spotted in the vicinity and little or no sightings of Lakadors were made at all. It's as if they hadn't even landed in this hell hole to begin with.

The Nighthawks and single Sparrowhawk flew onwards and came to an opened field just atop a large cliff near a waterfall. The aircraft touched down and Krypto flapped his wings to land with the aircraft. The Marines and small band of cheetahs and moles disembarked the vehicles and went onto the field. Even though Dyke had suggested against it, the Alliance urged for their own soldiers to be present.

The Marines fashioned their night vision gear and walked forward, the cheetahs and moles unsheathing their swords and following. Krypto, Aaron, Roxy and Tom also followed, blazing the trail behind the Marine regulars and the Alliance soldiers.

The trees swayed in the wind as the group of 15 Marines, 10 Cheetahs and 10 moles went on ahead. The Marines were under the command of Staff Sergeant William Brown and the Alliance soldiers were under the command of Chief Prentan. The Cheetahs resented the Humans in a sense. They felt the Humans were rubbing their business where it wasn't needed. In essence, the Cheetahs felt they didn't need the Human's help in this.

Krypto also held a sort of grudge against the Humans, and it seemed as if Aaron, Roxy and Tom were the only ones happy that the Humans were here. The Marine Sergeant stopped his men and the Alliance soldiers went on a bit farther. Aaron walked up to the Sergeant.

"Why are we stopping?" He asked.

"We've got to assess the area. The crystal is suspected to be less then a click north of here, inside of a structure of some sorts." He explained. The area was still around them and they moved on a bit farther. They came to an area of the forest that was open. As they walked near to the edge, they saw figures walking. The Sergeant ushered his men down into the grass and they saw that it was a large group of well armed Lakadors moving towards the area of where they suspected the crystal was in.

"What the hell are they doing here…?" Brown asked as he looked at them with his binoculars, their silver armor gleaming in the moonlight.

"Doesn't matter, we will defeat them." As Prentan said this, the Alliance soldiers prepared to charge.

"No you idiot, they'll kill you!" Brown hissed. The Cheetah ignored the Human and the Alliance soldiers charged from their positions, arrows flying at the Lakadors and swords drawn. The arrows bounced and shattered against the Lakador armor and they turned and opened fire.

Spheres of dark energy streaked across the open field and soldiers fell as it hit their armor. They were getting slaughtered.

"Damn it! Open fire!" Brown yelled. The Marines opened fire, bullets joining the utter chaos erupting outside.

Bullets flew through the air and were met with an opposing force of Lakador gunfire and energy rounds streaked at them. A few Marines screamed out as energy burned through the brush and straight into their armor. The same was true for the Lakadors, rifle rounds smashing into their armor and shattering it. The remaining Alliance soldiers dashed into the higher grass for better cover, their ranks almost being wiped out.

Krypto and Aaron took to the skies, raining jets of fire down upon the Lakadors. Roxy fired a volley of arrows but found to her disappointment that her arrows were the most effective weapon against these armored targets. She aimed for their exposed arms and tried to disable them. A few fell to her arrows, but she had to take cover with Tom as her weapon proved no more effective then what the Cheetahs had tried using.

Energy rounds streaked upwards and a few collided with Krypto, eliciting a roar from him as the rounds burned through his chest plating. Aaron had to dive to avoid the laser and energy fire, his wings being singed as a round flew through his wing skin. Aaron yelled and hit the ground. Roxy dashed wildly over to him, dodging a hail of energy fire and dragging him to safety. These Lakadors meant business.

The Platoon of Marines were hard pressed, more and more Lakadors coming from an adjacent field and filling the area with more targets. The tree line where the soldiers were at had turned into a fire. There was so much energy hitting the trees and grass it caught ablaze. A few Marines retreated as their cover was catching fire.

"Fall back! Get back to the drop ships!" As Brown said this, a round caught him in the back and he fell over, screaming. The other Marines ran to grab him but a few were cut down in a hail of energy fire as Lakadors charged their position and sprayed them with their automatic rain of death.

Swords clanged against armor as the Lakadors pulled them out and slashed at the retreating Humans. From her perspective, Roxy couldn't see much of what was happening, she had hit behind a rock. She had dragged Aaron with the help of Tom over there and Krypto had landed nearby, his chest charred and his breathing a little tense. The Cheetahs and Moles had vanished entirely, a squad of Lakadors giving chase to them as well.

They had been defeated.

There was no way they stood a chance against the overwhelming numbers of Lakadors. The only form of communication back to Warfang was via radio, and all the Marines had retreated or were killed. The only other way was to go there personally, and Roxy, nor Tom, could fly. They'd be stranded unless Krypto could lift them over there. Aaron wouldn't be able to support her weight, especially with his wing the way it was.

Roxy kept Aaron hidden, even as his whimpers of pain sounded through his muzzle. The area where he had been shot was burning hot. The energy round had burned straight through his wing skin and had left a black ring around it. At least that was the extent of his injuries.

She wished she could say the same for Krypto, who was breathing hard, the black, charred chest scales being apparent. He had taken at least 4 energy rounds to the chest and she didn't know how bad those hits would really be.

The only ones left were her and Tom. And they didn't necessarily have the weapons to take on the Lakadors, with their armor and dark energy weapons.

She had injured a few of them with her arrows, but those were lucky shots. She didn't know just how many more of those guys were out there. The Marines were forced to retreat and she could only guess if anyone had even made it out alive. The remaining Cheetahs and Moles had also fled, their numbers down to less then 5. Things weren't looking good for them. They had been beaten so easily.

Seeing that the coast was clear she decided it was best to move them. She, with the help of Tom, lifted Aaron and helped Krypto move across the open field and into the cover of the forest. They moved until they found a cave and she settled them in. She then left Tom in charge while she dashed back out into the night in search of one of the Marines' radios.

She hid along in the bushes and listened to the calm night. The slight _tak, tak, tak_ of Marine gunfire was audible in the distance, as well as the silent whine of energy fire. _"At least there were survivors…" _She thought to herself. She heard some sounds and her bow strapped to her back began to glow, signaling danger. She hid the bow, knowing it would give her away.

She looked out from her hidden position and spotted a pair of Lakadors. They were inspecting the fallen Marines in the brush across from her and she heard a moan, signaling a surviving Marine. She then saw a Lakador draw something from its side and then heard the sound of a single energy shot. The moaning ceased and she heard something softly hit the ground. The Lakadors then went on about their business and left the scene.

She growled silently and crawled through the grass and into the bushes where the Lakador pair had just been. She came into the burnt shrubs and found a Marine with a charred mark on his helmet, his gaze fixed upon the stars. The Lakadors had executed him. She silently sighed and crawled over to him. She had seen the soldiers speak with devices attached to their helmets and saw the same piece of equipment attached onto this one's helmet. She grabbed the helmet and tried to use the microphone as best she could.

She found a switch and pressed it. She heard a click from the device and knew she was online. She spoke silently into it.

"Hello? Can anyone hear me? We need help… some people are dead and hurt… hello? Can anyone hear me?" Her cries for help were met with static. Then she remembered that the Dark Crystal's pulse was disrupting radio communications. This thing was useless. She felt anger swell in her as she left the fallen Marine and retreated back to the cave, nothing gained from the trip other then more anger towards the Lakadors.

2234 Hours

Enchanted Forest

Lakador Field Commander Yahade' walked with his men. The Lakadors moved and fired as they did, catching the Humans in their energy fire. The Human soldiers screamed out in agony as they took hits and the remains of their battered forces broke apart and ran in different directions.

"Cease fire!" Yahade' commanded. The Lakadors complied and regrouped. Although Yahade' was a bit sympathetic to the Humans, there was no substitute for victory. It was either kill or be killed. And in this case, the Humans were the prey. They, along with their other allies, had fallen victim to their superior fire power.

The Lakador commander looked off and motioned his troops back to the main path. They had to find and extract the crystal. Once they did, they would be able to fire up their main engines once more. With that they could also power up their long range communications and send a signal out to other Lakador outposts to aid in the assault here.

They had to secure that crystal, no questions asked.

--------------------------------------------

Sondohwa stood near Yahade'. The Lakador checked the heat meter on his pulse rifle and readied himself. Yahade' snarled at the soldiers, saying they shouldn't charge blindly into an engagement.

Sondohwa just thought it was sympathy for the humans that Yahade' was masking. The fool knew they were threats… but didn't want to admit it. Either way, as long as he got to shoot Humans he was fine. Sondohwa was one of those who strongly believed in the Warrior's code. Yahade' seemed to be part of the less radical group that was just average. In order to be a soldier, a warrior, you had to abide by the laws and rules set by the Warriors Code. It was their beliefs, their religion. To be against it was to be less then a warrior, which was unacceptable.

As the second commander under Yahade' Sondohwa stressed it amongst his men. Yahade' didn't seem to care but was concerned on the methods they used.

A warrior lives by honor. They can conquer things others fear and use them to their advantage. One good example was the weapon he wielded. The Pulse Rifle used charged dark energy crystals as ammunition.

It was a sign of conquer. They had taken dark energy, a feared element, and had converted it into something useful and beneficial for them. The weapon was highly advanced.

It worked like a Human ballistic weapon, except they propelled the rounds with opposing negative and positive charges rather then chemical propulsion.

Another sign these humans shouldn't be allowed to live, their weapons were far to inferior to gain them their survival. Even though ballistics was an accepted method of weaponry by some Lakadors, Sondohwa saw it as a pathetic toy. Some Lakadors actually took Human weapons as trophies. Sondohwa thought that was a poor practice. Humans were vermin as far as he was concerned. They obviously didn't follow the Warrior's Code so they weren't worthy of mercy.

Even if Yahade' saw otherwise, it was by all means the proper way to see it. It is what he taught the men and it was what he swore to. Yahade' could be a sympathizer all be wanted, the higher commanders would punish him for his views and that would be the end of that.

However, as part of the Warrior's Code, he had to respect the chain of command and Yahade' happened to be higher then him. So he gave his respect as best he did.

As Yahade' motioned for them to move forward once more, he gladly followed and ushered his group to follow as well.

They moved through the forest and combed the area for any survivors. They had killed 11 out of the 15 Human soldiers that had assaulted them and almost all of the other hostiles. Now they had a straight path to the crystal.

They proceeded through the forest and came to a waterfall. Yahade' pulled out a scanner.

"The energy is coming from inside there, that is our target." Yahade' said as he pointed to the waterfall. The warriors proceeded towards the raging waterfall and swam through it. The warriors came through the waters and found themselves in a huge cave. At the back of the cavern was a large temple structure. They swam to shore and all 26 Lakador warriors were preparing to enter the temple.

As they neared, the ground rumbled and a few creatures sprouted out of the ground. The Human captives had referred to them as Grublins and Orcs. They were just more targets to the Lakadors, especially Sondohwa who accepted any and all challenges without hesitation.

Energy and crystal rounds fired from Energy Rifles and Pulse rifles, smashing into the Orcs and burning through them and the Grublins did back flips as energized crystals seared through them.

More came out of the ground and two creatures stood at the top of the temple. They were some sort of warriors made out of pure dark energy crystals. They wielded swords and weapons attached to their arms that worked like their own dark energy rifles. The crystal warriors pointed the weapons at them and a succession of energy rounds flew at the Lakadors and detonated and threw Lakadors in every which direction.

Sondohwa triggered an Ice Grenade and tossed it at an assortment of Grublins approaching. It detonated and encased them in ice. Anything not incased in ice had died of frostbite and lay in stiff positions on the ground.

The Lakador followed up the grenade with a few pulse rounds which did the frozen creatures in. Orcs with arrows fired from afar and a few shattered against the Lakador's armor. A few hit things like arms and exposed legs, causing hisses of pain and purple blood to gush to the floor.

The Lakadors pushed on, firing more shots at the Orcs and at the crystal soldiers atop the temple. A few Orcs flew into the air and fired volleys of dark energy at them from afar. The energy collided with Lakadors and sent them into a haze of screams and hisses of pain.

"Get the crystal! Now!" Yahade' hissed. Sondohwa didn't waste a moment. He and two other Lakadors dashed up the steps up to the crystal that was set inside of the temple and lifted it from its case. They took the crystal down and they kept firing shots at the Orcs and Grublins as they approached.

The remaining Lakadors, now dwindling to 15 leapt into the water and swam. The crystal required a few Lakadors to keep it in line with them and they took it out of the waterfall cave. Once outside, they saw several more Orcs and Grublins dashing across the shores of the river. Sondohwa got to the banks, discarded his rifle and unsheathed his sword.

He charged at a pair of Grublins and impaled them on the sword and then kicked them away. He grabbed two Electric Grenades, triggered them, and tossed them at two Orcs. The electricity from the grenade sent lethal amounts of volts pulsing into the Orcs and anything around them, killing them.

The other Lakadors put down the others with efficiency and they collected themselves. Sondohwa was breathing hard as he put his sword back, the rush of battle keeping him in tune.

"Great… more Humans…" One of the Lakadors commented and they looked up to see two Human drop ships in the distance, landing. The night was still young, and there were several Humans to kill. Sondohwa was ready.

End of Chapter 18

Krypto belongs to Kryptangel92

Aaron belongs to Dragonfreak1112

Roxy and Tom belong to Roxydragoness

Spyro and Cynder belong to Sierra Entertainment

Everyone else- Me


	19. Friends and Foes

Chapter 19: Friends and Foes

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

March 10, 2204

0012 Hours

Marine LZ, Enchanted Forest

Spyro trotted in the grass, boots landing nearby as well. Wagner walked next to him, followed by Karson, Allison and Cynder. Zephyr walked nearby. The two Nighthawks flew into the sky and flew overhead, providing cover.

The Marines walked through the grass, looking around. Wagner shouldered an M22 Shotgun and over his back an M23A Assault Rifle sat. Karson had his M74C with an M6 sidearm, with Allison having the same weapons except the M74C, she had the D variant.

"We picked up the distress signal from around here. The signal was really choppy but it came in enough for us to hear." Wagner said as he motioned for the two platoons from Alpha to move forward. Buckman walked near Wagner.

"Any clue what we're dealing with?" He asked.

"Not much. Probably Lakadors or some more Orcs." Wagner said in response. Spyro looked around and Cynder trotted up next to him.

"You feel that?" She asked.

"Yeah… something evil… it's close to…"

"Alright, let's find that platoon from Epsilon and those Alliance troops that came here too!" Wagner said and motioned the Marines forward with his hands. The Nighthawks were seen making passes overhead, staying within the air space for speedy pickups if need be.

The Marines moved through the grass and entered the grass, Spyro, Cynder and Zephyr trotting alongside. As they moved through they saw charred grass and small fires lighting up the night. The Marines broke up into several small squads and combed the area, finding several Marine bodies.

"Damn, they got Brown…" A Marine said as he stepped over the fallen Epsilon Company Commander. Other Marine bodies littered the ground, all hit from dark energy weapons.

"Looks like we got Lakadors in the area, stay sharp!" Wagner said. The others did so, a few Marines checking bodies while the others lifted their rifles to engage any hostiles that might come.

"Buckman, stay behind and check for wounded! Get them aboard the Nighthawks while we go ahead and search for the Alliance soldiers and find that crystal!" Wagner instructed.

"Yes sir!" Buckman said.

Spyro and Cynder looked around. They felt a powerful chill run down their spine.

_"Spyro…"_ Spyro heard a cold, faint voice enter his ears and his blood ran cold. There was a powerful dark presence here… very powerful… even stronger then Malefor's…

"You feel that…?" Spyro asked, now beginning to feel worried.

"I feel cold…" Cynder said silently. Spyro didn't respond but felt it too.

Ignoring it, they followed Wagner's platoon as it went up ahead, falling in behind Karson, Allison and Zephyr.

Off in the distance, a pair of eyes tracked the purple dragon as he trotted off behind the Human soldiers. Two black dragons sat a top a mountain, their powerful eyes tracking every motion down below.

"This Spyro… he is becoming more and more interesting with each passing day."

"Yes Master… he is proving to be something…"

"Keep an eye on him, but do not engage. Have the drones take care of his Human companions and ensure that I get a moment alone with that dragon in the near future. I wish to meet him face to face. He is proving to be a better asset then Malefor ever was..." The dragon beside him nodded, flapped his wings and flew down to get a closer spot. The dragon that remained huffed and flew off into the sky, returning to his lair.

Roxy ran. Her legs hurt, a sign that she needed to rest, but she couldn't dare to. She had to keep running. It was either that, or die. She rolled behind a boulder just in time to have dark energy spheres streak past it and hit a tree near her. She pulled her sword out from its sheath and readied herself. Her two pursuers snarled in their strange tongue and rounded the boulder, their dark energy rifles ready to fire.

Roxy met them with her sword, which knocked the first one off of his feet and sent him into a tree. The other tossed its rifle to the ground and drew its own sword. It swung, as did Roxy. She caught his sword and applied as much strength as she could, gaining a stalemate between her and the Lakador.

She then twirled the sword, letting the Lakador fall into her attack and used the butt of it to hit it in the groin. The Lakador backed down a bit before she slashed, releasing energy from her blade. The Lakador was sent off his feet and into a tree, shattering its metal armor. The other Lakador pulled a pistol from its harness, only to get an arrow to the throat, silencing the Lakador.

Breathing hard, Roxy returned the sword to the sheath and placed her bow over shoulder. She signed aloud before jogging back to where she left the others. Aaron was doing better, his wound healing. Krypto was still breathing hard, his face showing visible signs that those wounds were taking a toll. Aaron had tried to help heal them but it wasn't working too well.

Krypto also refused to let any of those 'damn humans' touch him. This was proving to me more and more challenging. Tom had stayed with them to watch for any attacks while Roxy went out to search for the surviving Marines, if any were left at all.

What she found was a whole lot of Lakadors. Two of them had given chase while the others were fighting a large group of Orcs and Grublins along a lakeshore.

She finally returned to the cave. She neared its entrance when movement started her. She looked up to see Tom camouflaged in the bushes nearby, only revealing himself to show her he was there.

"Oh… you startled me…" She said. He gave a low laugh.

"Have to keep hidden. Those Lakadors are everywhere." He said in his usual gruff voice. She smirked at him and walked into the cave to find Aaron sitting down, watching her enter, his wing now fully healed and Krypto sitting on the far side of the cave, staring at one of the walls.

"Well… there's nobody out there…" Roxy said while putting her hands on her hips.

"Figures… well we should probably find a way back to Warfang…" Aaron said in a sort of agitated voice.

"Well how are we going to get there? It'd take us a whole day to get there." Roxy said in a defeated voice.

They had not other choice… it was either walk or stay here, with the Lakadors. Krypto huffed, not wanting to have any part in a decision involving humans. None of them really understood his hatred towards Humans. He even showed a dislike to Roxy. It was slight, but it still existed and Roxy knew it.

Suddenly Tom entered the cave.

"We've got trouble. There are lots of those Lakadors heading this way. They'll be here any minute." He said. Aaron sighed and Krypto huffed. He was eager for revenge for getting shot several times in the chest.

"Looks like we're gunna have to fight…" Roxy said with a smile as she drew her sword out.

"Looks like it." Aaron said with a smile. The two had known each other for quite some time, even before this incident. They fought well together. Now it was time to test their ability against these new foes.

Tom nodded and Krypto hugged once more. They left the cave and ran smack into a squad of Lakadors. The Lakadors snarled and prepared to fire, hissing in their language. Before they could, Aaron fired a blast of darkness at them which consumed them and overloaded their weapons. The initial Lakadors were blown into the ground and their weapons exploded in a purple haze. One of them drew a sword and charged Roxy who swung her sword in turn.

The swords collided and Roxy applied some of the swords energy to create an overcharge which shot the creature off of her and into the grass. It rubbed its head and prepared to come again. Tom charged it and knocked the Lakador into a tree. Another Lakador ran up, grabbed the fallen Lakador and helped him along as they retreated with a few others.

"Well that was easy." Aaron said with a smile.

"Oh there'll be more…" Tom said with a smirk. Roxy sighed and smiled. Krypto had a neutral look to him as he walked past them, going to where the Lakadors had retreated to. The others followed and they ended up in a field with several Lakadors looking at them. They had a crystal with them- the crystal they were supposed to destroy.

One of the lead Lakadors hissed at them and the Lakadors opened fire at them. The group took cover except for Krypto who took to the sky and unleashed a wave of fire down upon the Lakadors. The initial group caught fire and screamed in agony. Aaron joined in, firing acute beams of darkness from his muzzle and nailing 3 in the chest, cracking and shattering their silver armor.

Roxy fired her bow from long range, but she had to carefully aim for their exposed upper arms. She hit 2, and a few other arrows pinged off of their armor. Firing another shot, she nailed one in the neck, an instant kill.

The Lakadors broke off from the crystal and began to fire upon them, dark energy hitting all around. The excess energy caused the group to take cover from the barrage, trees, grass and rocks being charred from the super heated dark energy.

As Roxy tilted her head to see the Lakadors, she saw the dark crystal give off a pulse of energy- the thing the Dark Master was using to map the crust of the planet.

The Lakadors caught in the wave started to grasp their heads, as if something was attacking them mentally. They dropped their rifles and some fell to their knees. The other Lakadors continued to fire at the group, trying their hardest to kill them. A few grenades were lobbed at them, electricity and ice flowing from the explosions.

The Lakadors being affected by the dark energy crystal then snarled, grabbing their rifles again and fired at their fellow Lakadors.

Lakadors let out wails and howls of pain as the energy bore through their armor and singed their skin. Several fell from this initial outburst.

Roxy, Tom and Aaron watched in amazement as this happened. The Lakadors had just… turned against their own! Was this the secondary effect mentioned by the Human Commander? Hostilities aroused amongst species from the wave of energy?

Whatever it was, now they had just been given a free be. They didn't have to fight.

As they watched, two Lakadors nearest to the crystal howled out, their skin and armor beginning to morph. They started to change into these vicious creatures that resembled Lakadors but were horribly disfigured and corrupted by the dark energy. With red eyes and small droplets of drool coming from their muzzles, they charged the other Lakadors, killing them in swipes with their razor sharp claws.

"Holy cow…" Aaron commented.

"Shit…" Roxy said under her breath. Those things looked really mean. They ripped through the other Lakadors and while they were distracted, Roxy, Tom, Aaron and Krypto snuck through the grass to get a clear hit at the crystal. As they were about to attack, a Lakador drop ship sailed above and dropped a clamp like object. The clamp secured itself to the crystal and lifted it up. Another drop ship swooped in to attack but was getting harassed as lights danced from the ground and hit it. They were tracer fire, from Human assault weapons.

Lakadors engaging each other were now facing Marines as flashes emanated from the trees, Human gunfire. .22 rifle rounds hit the Lakadors and caused them to fall over. The remaining Lakadors not under the crystal's influence fought the Marines and a few engaged Roxy and the others. Krytpo sailed high, smashing into the ground to knock the Lakadors away while Aaron fired a beam of concentrated darkness at a cluster of Lakadors. Roxy drew her arrows out and fired several out while Tom pounced on a Lakador and attacked the defenseless enemy.

The remaining Lakadors scrambled to their drop ship and boarded the air craft. The ship floated into the sky and sailed off. The remaining Lakadors that were under the crystals control began to howl out, their skin starting to morph into the same creatures that had been closest to the crystal.

"What the hell are those things?!" A Marine called out. Spyro and Cynder flew over and landed near Roxy and Tom.

"You guys alright?!" Spyro said as they landed, avoiding a bolt of dark energy.

"We're fine! But they got away with the crystal!" Roxy said while pointing to the drop ship with the crystal clamped to it.

"We know, we're going to get them back!" Cynder said, with a worried voice. Wagner came over just as he put a burst into a Lakador and was followed by Karson and Allison as they unleashed elemental attacks onto the enemies.

"We need to hurry if we want to catch them!" Wagner said to them. They nodded but before they moved, another figure joined them. It was Diablo.

"Spyro, Cynder, you must hurry. I have the plan in place and I need you at the Volcano in the Burned Lands Spyro. Time… is running out."

--------------------------------

As the Lakador drop ship flew on, Sondohwa fell onto a seat and gripped his wounds. That damn human had hurt him badly… Yahade' had even chuckled at him for his actions… but he felt only anger towards the Humans… they all needed to perish… and nothing would stand in his way…

1211 Hours

Volcano in the center of The Burned Lands

The Sparrowhawk dropped the group in the Burned Lands before flying up and away from them. The small squad of Marines, Roxy, Tom, Aaron, Krytpo, Karson, Wagner, Spyro and Cynder moved through the scorched lands and Diablo stopped to address them.

"Only the chosen ones can come. The rest stay and form a barrier to ensure nothing attacks us." Diablo instructed.

"I go where Spyro goes." Cynder said calmly.

"Can't let them get into trouble now… I think I should go to…" Wagner said as well. There were a few seconds of silence before Diablo nodded and allowed them to go. They walked to a small metal platform that was just big enough to hold them all and have some extra room

"This is where your plan is going to be?" Spyro asked as Diablo lead him onto a platform outside of the volcano and once Spyro, Cynder, Wagner, Karson and Allison boarded, the platform rose above the lava and scorched lands. It hovered in place and Diablo looked at Spyro.

"It is good you came at this time. I feared we would have been too late to stop this…" Diablo muttered. He turned to Karson and Allison.

"You two are the chosen ones… you two foreshadow the firing of the Final Solution… we must do any and all things within our power to stop this…" He said and they nodded.

"What is the plan?" Cynder asked. Diablo looked at them.

"It is something only a purple dragon can do… at this spot… we must awaken the destroyer."

"What?!" Spyro asked. He looked at Diablo for a second and backed off.

"But that will destroy the world!" Cynder cried out.

"Are you insane?!" Wagner asked as he pointed his rifle cautiously at the larger purple dragon.

"I feared this might come." Diablo straightened himself and cleared his throat.

Spyro glared at Diablo. Singe was right. Diablo was not to be trusted.

"Spyro… you have committed an error in what you've done… and have brought about these events. This is the only way to right your wrong."

"What? What did I do wrong?! I stopped this before to halt the end of the world!" Spyro said in anger.

"Correct. You STOPPED this. That is what you did wrong." Everyone stood silent as Diablo said this.

"The Great Cleansing is not the destiny of the purple dragon. It is the duty of everyone. It is your destiny to safe guard the Final Solution from the forces of darkness, by bring about the Great Cleansing. By stopping it, you've doomed us all. Malefor committed a similar error and now he is paying the price."

"But how is it the way to stop this?!" He cried out once more, his mind in turmoil.

"The Final Solution was buried within the planet during the original Great Cleansing. The one I brought about. As tectonic plates shift and move, the weapon slowly rises to the surface. The only way to stop it from being revealed and allowing the Dark Forces to access it is to once again bury it in the core of the planet. The Great Cleansing is the way to do that. It reshapes the world, sending the weapon back to the core. By stopping it you just speed up the weapon's rising and sent it straight towards the surface. Now it could be mere inches from revealing itself."

"But…"

"I am telling you the truth Spyro. At the end of the previous age, after the light capacitors were permanently damaged, the Council decided that defending it was no longer a viable option. They had to do more… sacrifice more… and they recruited me and all purple dragons, the keepers of the weapons, to use this new method to safeguard the weapon."

"But… there… there has to be another way!" Cynder said.

"You cant just kill all those people!"

"We can. We must. Sacrifice one world for all other worlds. It is… the way of things…"

"No…no… NO!!! This isn't the way! There must be a better way! There just has to be!"

"There _is_ no other way Spyro. This is the only way to stop this. If we don't do this now, Malefor will rise that weapon and use it for his own needs. Nothing good will come out of it. If you don't bring about the Great Cleansing, I will. I cannot let this go on any longer!"

"No! I stopped it before and I can do it again!" Spyro charged the large purple dragon and knocked him off of the platform in one charge. Diablo roared out and fell off the platform along with Spyro.

"Spyro!" Cynder yelled. The platform lurched from the sudden displacement of weight and Wagner tumbled off. He yelled out as he flew downwards.

"Wagner!" Karson yelled out as he grabbed a hold of a railing and held himself on the falling platform. They were elevated _above_ the volcano. Easily 1000 feet above the ground. Spyro, Diablo and the Marine Lieutenant tumbled to the ground below. Karson lost sight of Wagner but saw Spyro and Diablo battling on their decent down.

Diablo used his wings to catch the wind and kept a balance. The updraft from the volcano blew against them and Spyro did this as well, breaking his fall. Spyro glared at Diablo and Diablo did the same.

"I'm only doing what needs to be done. Every other purple dragon has done this before… now it is either going to be you or me that does this."

"No! There has to be another way!"

"You don't understand! This IS the only way!" Diablo said as he kicked Spyro away.

"It is our destiny Spyro! Our duty to protect the weapon! This is the only way!"

As the fight raged, Cynder held onto Allison's hand as best her paw would allow. The female Marine dangled and was going to plummet straight down, just as Wagner had. Karson clutched onto the edge and moved his hand to allow a second grasp for Allison.

"Allison! Take it!" He said. She groaned and reached out. For a few seconds they kept reaching out and Cynder gave a pained grunt as she shifted her weight to allow for her to grab his hand. The platform dangled dangerously and would tip over if they didn't do something. Obviously the lack of Diablo's magic had caused this. They had to correct this. How, Karson had no clue.

Spyro flapped his wings and charged at Diablo. He was tired of being told it was the only way. There had to be another. There just had to. He was NOT about to sacrifice all those lives. This whole world had just recovered from the pervious Great Cleansing, and Spyro would be damned if he allowed another to happen, and by him. This was not the destiny of the Purple Dragon. Spyro was sure of it.

He fired his fury breath at Diablo, scoring a hit on the other dragon's chest. The Dragon roared out and sailed downwards before catching himself and correcting his flight. Diablo snared and fired a beam of energy at Spyro, hitting the young dragon. Spyro yelled out and flew downwards, narrowly missing a spike sticking out of the molten landscape.

Blood coming from his muzzle, Spyro flapped his wings and sailed upwards to meet the other purple dragon, who was busy charging a large crystal nearby. He was going to try to erect the Destroyer once more! Spyro couldn't allow it!

Spyro felt anger rush through his veins and his throat tie into a knot. He would make Diablo pay for this… PAY!!!! With strength that Spyro never knew he had, he flew at breakneck speed at the purple dragon, catching him in his groin and knocking him clear across the area and next to a to the edge of the rocks. Beyond that edge, a river of molten lava sat. Diablo struggled to get up and Spyro charged, knocking the dragon into the lava. The Dragon's wails of death resonated throughout the area… music to Spyro's ears.

Spyro roared out and energy coursed through him. Anger mounted to an all high within his stomach and his breath was becoming faster and faster paced. Spyro had never felt this rush before… it was… glorious! The most energy Spyro had ever felt… all this power… and it was his… he needed more… much more!

Spyro looked out to the crystal that resonated energy. It pulsed with intense power.

Perfect.

Spyro flew at it and with a bright smile, touched it. He absorbed the crystal's energy and at once the ground began to shake. The top of the volcano blew out and a large creature crawled from its peak. It was the Destroyer. It didn't matter to Spyro. He had the power. He would find more… much more… he needed more!

"What's going on?! What's happening to Spyro?!" Allison cried out as she watched the whole event unfold. A black aura had encased Spyro's body and his scales had turned a pitch black. His eyes were pure white and a sickening feeling resonated from him.

"What? What's going on?! Is he alright?" Cynder asked as she held onto the rails.

"I… I don't know! But he just killed Diablo!" As Allison yelled this. Neither Karson or Cynder spoke. They were in utter shock.

"Spyro… did what?!" Cynder asked, her voice quavering. She had never known Spyro to do anything like that! She knew that Diablo was about to do something wrong, but still! He wasn't the enemy!

They held onto the platform, trying to keep their grasp until whatever magic had held it vanished along with Diablo. The platform fell down, Cynder flapping her wings and trying to hold onto both Karson and Allison. She couldn't support their weight and fell down with them.

Suddenly they felt themselves being lifted up and cradled in the arms of someone. They looked up to see a large grey dragon with silver belly scales and a pattern running down his head holding onto them. The dragon set them down onto the ground and turned to Spyro. They saw a few bits of steam rise from its nostrils and the dragon took flight over to Spyro.

"Who is that?" Karson asked as he rubbed his head.

"I don't know…" Cynder said silently. Allison recovered herself and looked up. The grey dragon walked over to Spyro and stood his ground. Spyro stared at him for a few seconds before shattering the crystal he had just absorbed and walked nearer, black energy coursing through the nearby air.

Spyro suddenly attacked the new dragon, firing his dark energy at him. The grey dragon formed a shield and deflected the energy away in a fury of lights and smoke. Spyro snarled at the dragon and charged, hazy energy escaping his body.

The dragon readied himself and caught Spyro midst ride, knocking the smaller dragon down onto the ground. The grey dragon huffed and blew a wave of energy which knocked Spyro across the ground and near the same lava river Spyro had knocked Diablo into just earlier.

"No, don't!" Cynder cried out as she got to her feet and ran over to the large grey dragon. The dragon shot her an ignoring glance before Spyro got up and tried once more to attack the dragon. The dragon grabbed Spyro's head and smashed it onto the ledge of the rock, his face hanging over the edge and the heat from the lava hitting it and causing steam to rise from it.

The others crowded around, scared that the new dragon might hit Spyro into the lava below. Cynder was the most worried, her face showing her emotions.

Spyro, using the last bit of his strength, bit the new dragon, eliciting a roar from it and causing the dragon to bring his tail down onto Spyro's side, getting a similar roar. Before they knew it, a large explosion ripped the small quarrel, light and darkness colliding into a massive ball of energy.

The dragon landed on the ground nearby and picked himself up. Spyro, however, flew downwards to the lava. The dragon snarled and flew straight at him.

Cynder eyed the dragon as he flew down towards the lava, snatched Spyro up, and flew back to them. He set the dragon down onto the ground, Spyro's purple scales now replacing the pitch black ones that had once dominated him, just like his anger.

The dragon placed a paw on Spyro's head and looked up the sound of a thud. The Destroyer had made some progress, almost clearing the Burned Lands. The dragon huffed and took off, vanishing into the smoke.

Spyro moaned and they looked at him.

"Spyro…?"

"Cynder? What happened?" He asked. She looked at him sadly.

"Where's Diablo?! Is he…?" Spyro asked frantically. The others looked at him and their looks confirmed his fears. He had killed the purple dragon.

"What the hell is going on?!" Roxy asked as she and the others ran up.

"Where's Diablo?" Aaron asked.

"And what the hell is that?!" A Marine said as he pointed to the large mile long dragon that was the Destroyer.

"That… is the Destroyer… and it will end the world if we don't stop it…"

Cynder said as she stared at it. Spyro was silent.

"Wait, where's your leader… Wagner I think?" Roxy asked.

Karson and Allison shot glances to each other.

"He's… not here…" They finally said. The Marine Lieutenant would not have survived that fall. They had to go on without him.

"Looks like I'm in charge then…" Lieutenant Buckman said with sadness.

"Well what do we do against _that_?" A Marine asked as he pointed to the Destroyer.

"We stop it. No matter the cost." Karson said as he looked upon it with rage.

"Spyro… c'mon. We have to do this." Cynder said as she nudged Spyro. The purple dragon sighed sadly before looking at her.

They flapped their wings and took flight into the sky, after the large mile long Destroyer.

"Call in everything we can… we need to stop this thing… now…" Buckman said as he pointed to a Marine with a helmet microphone.

The Marine raised the Typhus and called in for back up, but Buckman wondered if it'd be enough. The others with them ran off to cut off the Destroyer since it was heading in their path and they could intersect it atop a platform not too far from here.

Spyro and Cynder were already at the platform and as the squad of Marines and the group got on the platform from their position and saw the Destroyer just ahead of them. It was less then a mile and closing to their position. They had to act fast.

"How do we stop it?" Karson asked as he raised his M74C.

"How'd you guys stop it last time?" Allison asked as she turned to Spyro and Cynder.

"We… didn't . We slowed it down long enough to fight Malefor." She responded with a guilty voice.

"Great…" They heard one of the Marines mutter.

"How did you stall it?" Karson asked, getting a bit frustrated.

"We destroyed the dark gems on it and had filled a valley with water to stall it long enough to do that." Cynder said.

"Even when we did that… it still went on because Malefor's dark powers controlled it and drew it towards him… a last dark gem…" Spyro muttered.

"Well let's try to destroy those gems and stall it then!" Buckman said.

"Looks like we're going after crystals!" Aaron said with joy and Krypto smirked as he flapped his wings and went airborne, along with Spyro and Cynder.

Roxy smiled and glowed a bright white before the group and unveiled herself to also have a dragon form. Zephyr smirked and smiled as he too glowed white and morphed to a dragon form.

"What, is there something in the water here?!" One of the Marines, Corporal Henderson, asked as he saw this.

The two flew up to join the group and Tom stayed behind, along with Karson, Allison and the other Marines.

The group of dragons sailed up and towards the first leg. They had to find a way to keep it from moving so they could destroy the crystals, for the Destroyer was moving too much for them to get a good hit off of it.

"Damn! How do we keep it from moving?!" Roxy asked.

"Sure as hell isn't water around here!" Zephyr said as he flapped his wings to correct himself after almost getting hit by the Destroyer's claws.

Spyro and Cynder flew and tried to land on a part of the Destroyer's arm but were knocked off from it moving too fast. It would be impossible to destroy the crystals.

Suddenly explosions dotted the Destroyer and it roared a deafening roar as UERMC Raptors flew over it, followed by fast moving UERNF Ravens which bombarded the Destroyer with heavy weapons and bombs. Rocks tumbled from the creature and fell into the lava below.

Tanks rolled up onto the platform with the Marines and fired numerous rounds at the Destroyer. Explosions dotted all around and the Destoyer was masked in a cloud of smoke. However it kept moving ever closer to the platform, now only half a mile away. It was moving fast.

The tanks and Marines began to fall back to another platform some ways back. The Raptors hovered and fired missiles at the Destroyer, hoping to cause some damage to it.

"If they can't stop it, what can?!" Aaron asked as he watched the Humans pelt the creature with everything they had.

"We've got to stall it, destroy the crystals!" Spyro called out. It was impossible to stall it. There was nothing to stall it with. There was certainly no body of water that could be used… this was moving away from the rivers or valleys in the area. It would be impossible to stall it.

In a heart beat, their answer came.

The Destroyer fell to a knee and its forward legs snapped and tumbled, rocks exploding outwards. A few seconds later a CRACK exploded at their ears and they looked to see the UERNF _Typhus_ approaching. The Human ship had used its LIC weapon and had fired a slug faster then the speed of sound. Smaller weapons like missiles and other guns blared at the Destroyer, blowing away chunks off of it and causing it to smash down hard.

It was stuck.

"Let's go, now's our chance!" Spyro called out. The group immediately spread out, finding crystals and smashing them.

As Spyro finished smashing another crystal, he looked to see the dragon that he had fought with smash a crystal. The dragon looked at him, huffed and flew away beyond a pillar of smoke and out of sight.

UERMC Raptors floating around saw this and flared their jets to adjust and opened up on crystals that they found. Soon, the other two legs blew off and the destroyer tumbled into the lava beneath.

However, it was still not done with. The creature still moved and tried to reach its objective- circle the world once over.

"Cynder, c'mon! We need to take out its heart like before!" Spyro called out and she nodded. They streaked down towards the mouth of the creature and entered. They flew into the bowels of the creature and arrived at the heart.

Just like before, they made several passes and shattered the heart. The heart exploded and they flew out of the mouth just before the jet of fire did. They flew down with the others as the Destroyer let out a howl. However, it still wasn't done with. Its eyes flared and it crawled towards them still.

"What?! What's it take to destroy this thing?!" Roxy asked. Suddenly they saw Spyro glowing purple and black- the same aura emitted from the dark gems.

"Spyro… you're the final thing powering it… just as Malefor was to the other Destroyer…" Cynder said as she made a realization.

"Then I… can stop this." Spyro closed his eyes and focused hard. He strained his mind and suddenly felt something inside him snap. In his mind, an image of a bright sunlight breaking through clouds filled his vision.

He opened his eyes and they were golden. He flashed white before the Destroyer's eyes faded and it collapsed into the lava- finished.

Spyro's eyes returned to normal and the others, keeping an eye on the Destroyer, had not noticed Spyro's eye color. Everyone that is… except for Cynder.

She stared at him for a few seconds before smiling to herself. The Marines began to cheer, as did the Alliance soldiers and dragons that had also accumulated there to aid but were late to the party. Nighthawks, Sparrowhawks, Raptors and Ravens streaked through the skies, patrolling for anything.

"Spyro! You did it!" Buckman said with glee.

"Lieutenant! I found a downed soldier! He needs Medical attention!" A Marine called out as he dragged with him a beaten and battered Marine. The Marine let the unconscious Marine onto the ground for everyone to see. It was Wagner.

"Medic! Get a Corpsmen here now!" Buckman called out and knelt down to check the Officer's pulse.

"Is he…?" Cynder asked, fear gripping her voice.

"No, he's alive, but barely… Where's that Medic?!" Buckman said as he looked around. A pair of Marines ran up with crosses on their helmets and attended to Wagner as he sat on the ground.

"Well, well, well… you actually beat it." They turned to the sound of a new voice to find a Human in white armor and cape walk up. The Human had blond hair and looked like he had nothing to do with the Marines already here.

"Who… are you?" Spyro asked.

"My name is Rithul… and Spyro… I need to have a word with you…"

End of Chapter 19

Krypto- Kryptangel92

Aaron- Dragonfreak1112

Zephyr- Dragonheart666666

Roxy and Tom- Roxydragoness

Spyro, Cynder, the Destroyer- Sierra Entertainment

UER Marines, Lakadors, Rithul, Diablo and other related characters belong to me


	20. Uncovering the Truth

Chapter 20: Uncovering the Truth

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

March 10, 2209

0232 Hours

Dragon Temple of Warfang

"So… I wasn't supposed to stop the Great Cleansing?" Spyro asked in a solemn yet sad voice.

"Sadly… that is the truth. The purple dragons… are a mysterious breed. You've all been… different from regular dragons… and have been the topic of interest… for many years…" Rithul said as he paced with his hand on his chin in front of the statue of Malefor in the Dragon Temple.

"So… what is it that Spyro was supposed to do?" Colonel Dyke asked as he sat nearby on a crate of ammunition.

"Well… I think its best I start from the beginning. You see, the Final Solution was a weapon that was to cleanse the Universe of all impurities through firing a pure beam of light that would not harm the just yet wipe out the corrupt." He paused for a second before continuing.

"During the Original Great War… the forces of darkness captured one of the two Final Solutions. They permanently destroyed the light capacitors and repurposed them to be dark capacitors. So now the weapon is a weapon of darkness… used to destroy the Universe so that whatever comes out of the ashes will be dominated by the forces of darkness."

"Where do the purple dragons come into all of this though?" Karson asked.

"I'm getting to that." Rithul said with an agitated voice.

"The purple dragons were a species that mysteriously appeared after the firing of the Final Solution the first time. It was at this point that Humanity was starting to flourish, dragons were becoming powerful and other races were recovering. The dark armies were destroyed thankfully and the forces of darkness were denied their prize of controlling the new world because the forces of light fired the other Final Solution as they fired the dark one. The effects wiped both sides out." He paused again before taking in a sigh.

"We decided to defend the Final Solution… to keep the forces of darkness away from it. With the help of the purple dragons, we managed to do it. Diablo and Sirus helped repel the forces of darkness. Sadly, Sirus vanished and returned later to be evil. He helped the forces of darkness blow through our defenses and soon had surrounded the weapon."

"In an act of desperation, we sent our forces to the second Final Solution to do as they had done before. The forces trapped within the other Final Solution did their best to repel the invaders to buy us time. It was at that time that the council met. Knowing we didn't have long, we came up with the best plan to keep history from repeating itself again. Realizing the forces of darkness would come again and much stronger, me and Diablo enacted what you refer to as 'The Great Cleansing'. At first it wasn't the task of the purple dragons to do it… but something made the purple dragons become in tuned with the Final Solution. I'm not sure what… but… that was how it was. The purple dragons were to bring the Great Cleansing to ensure the armies of darkness never found the Final Solutions again."

"But why this world? Why can't you evacuate it and leave it baron so nobody has to suffer?" Spyro asked.

"After we fired the weapons and the survivors returned to the Dragon Realms Spyro… the only ones who knew of the plan besides the purple dragon which learned through the temples left behind were somehow being kept off the Dragon Realms. We could not return. It wasn't until now that we were granted access here… and we are trying our best… but I can sense the forces of darkness converging…" Rithul explained.

"There has to be another way… Singe said there was another way!" Spyro said.

"Singe?" Rithul asked.

"Yeah… I've been… talking to her…" He said.

"Singe… Diablo's spoke of her… mysterious dragon she is… well… Diablo said she was looking into an alternate plan other then the Great Cleansing… if anyone should know… she should…" He said.

"Well I'm going to find out!" Spyro said as he went to the gardens.

"Not so fast there! We have to figure out some more things!" Dyke said as he dismounted his ammo crate.

"For one, what does the Dark Master have to do with this?" He asked.

"Malefor… is mysterious. The others came up with their own ideas as to why he's trying so badly to fire the Final Solution… at this point, we are unsure other then he wants to control the world after its been wiped out." Rithul explained.

They looked at him for a bit, before Spyro chose to talk once more.

"I want to get to the bottom of things… and I need to find Singe…" Spyro said as he turned once more to leave the dojo.

"Colonel! The Typhus has several incoming hostiles on the long range radar!" A Marine said as he ran up. The other Marines grabbed their rifles and readied for whatever news could come. The Colonel joined them, though he didn't have a rifle to grab.

"How many?" Dyke asked.

"Several sir, we think Lakadors are inbound…" The soldier said.

"Marines, form a defense!" The Colonel yelled and the soldiers in the dojo sprinted towards the balcony to hitch a ride downwards.

"Sir, where do you need us?" Wagner asked.

"Wagner, round up Alpha and help protect the Temple! We'll help defend the levels leading up!" Dyke ordered.

"We'll help!" Spyro said as he turned back and walked back into the dojo with Cynder right behind. Rithul smirked and walked off into the deeper parts of the temple.

Spyro and Cynder dashed out, the others behind. Krypto, Aaron, Zephyr, Roxy and Tom followed after the Marines and dashed onto the balcony. Zephyr and Roxy vanished in a bright light and reappeared as dragons before them. Tom jumped in the air and Roxy and Zephyr grabbed his legs and carried him aloft. The others took flight and flew off to the ramparts to aid a defense.

They landed at the ramparts and saw Marines and Alliance Soldiers making a defense. Four large weapons had been installed by the Marines and Wagner referred to them as 'artillery' guns. They looked like the golden catapult but were grey and had a smaller round that it fired. Its gun was similar to the Tank's.

Several aircraft were inbound and a small foot army was heading towards the city. Tanks were part of the foot army and beams of dark energy smashed into the wall from long range. The artillery answered with a volley of fire, shrouding them in smoke as dirt was kicked up from the firing. Marines quickly opened the back of the weapons and placed another shell in to fire. The golden catapult also fired and prepared another shot. Marine mortar teams fired off rounds as well.

The foot soldiers got bombarded and held position while the drop ships speed towards the city. Raptors and Ravens streaked at them to engage, but Lakador fighters engaged and forced the outnumbered human fighters to break off. Anti-aircraft guns fired as the drop ships speed over the Ramparts and Spyro looked at Cynder who knew what he was thinking.

The drop ships began to land, but some were shot out of the air by anti aircraft weapons and dragons who had taken to the sky and had overpowered the ships. The Typhus fired weapons at incoming drop ships but their weapons were being pre-occupied with the fighters.

Spyro and Cynder flew off to the drop ships, and were followed by the others. They found an ensuing battle was already erupting as Marines took cover behind columns and walls, firing at the Lakadors that came out of the drop ships. Bullets pinged off of the metal drop ship and it sailed up and out of the area. A fragmentation grenade detonated near a few Lakadors and they ducked behind a fallen piece of building for cover.

Spyro and Cynder landed on the ground and Spyro zapped the Lakadors with electricity, stunning them. Marines nailed the stunned targets and cleared them out quickly.

"Incendiary out!" A Marine called out as he tossed a different type of grenade. It landed near a few Lakadors and released a cloud of vapor that enshrouded them. The grenade let out a small spark which ignited the whole mix and all the Lakadors in the cloud were ignited and screamed as fires enveloped them.

Spyro ran down to the fallen Lakadors to find a few retreating towards another courtyard. A few cheetahs were already fighting them, engaged in sword battles when the squad of Marines moved forward.

"Wow, we're already too late…" Aaron commented as they landed after the Lakadors had all been cleared out.

They dashed out to help Spyro, Cynder and the other Marines as they dashed to the next courtyard. Spyro launched himself at a Lakador and tossed him away as he prepared to stab a Cheetah. Cynder used her shadow to launch them all into the air and the Marines fired single shots to finish them off as they sat in mid air.

Krypto grabbed one and threw it into a wall before launching a volley of fire at the creature and burning it alive. Aaron did something similar, but he blasted the Lakador with darkness and sent it into two more who fell over. Roxy transformed into a Human once more and drew her sword. She slashed it at three Lakadors who pointed their rifles at her and they were sent flying away as a wave of energy came from it. Their armor cracked and they flew into the ground and skid for a bit before coming to a rest. Tom dashed in and pounced on one as it tried to get back onto its feet. Zephyr kicked one into a tree as he prepared a grenade and before it tried to attack them again, a Marine fired a short burst of gunfire into the Lakador and silenced it.

A Nighthawk flew overhead and fired long bursts at the ground and silenced several Lakadors as they tried to flee for cover. Grenades detonated and blasted the reptilian creatures from their spots.

Lakador drop ships sailed overhead, Raptors following close behind.

"Come on!" Spyro said as they ran forward and out of that courtyard, only to find a small trio of Marines pinned down on a balcony with 7 Lakadors firing energy and pulse rounds at them.

Spyro covered his body in fire and swooshed forward into the group, knocking several down and the rest were bewildered. They were made easy targets for the Marines who opened fire and took them down in a few bursts. The others assembled in the new courtyard and looked around, disappointed at the fact that they missed the fight once more.

They saw a few Lakador drop ships pick up soldiers and take them off back into the sky.

"Well that was easy…" Krypto said.

"Yeah… didn't even get to fight!" Aaron said in a disappointed voice. They heard distant thuds and looked up to see a few pillars of smoke rising from the balcony of the Dragon Temple.

"They need our help!" Cynder said. The others nodded and took to the skies once more, bound for the Dragon Temple.

They arrived and hit the ground to see a few dead Lakadors on the balcony with a few Marines sprawled against the railings as well. They rushed inside to find a few Lakadors standing around the dojo, a few Marine bodies against the walls.

Krypto and Roxy were the first to react, bursting at them and Roxy drawing her sword and unleashing a wave of energy and smashing them against the statue. A group of Lakadors prepared to fire at her but were smashed into the wall by Krypto as he dashed forward. Aaron, not wanting to miss any action, fired an acute beam of darkness which smashed into a Lakador head on and caused its armor to shatter and propel it into the wall.

Zephyr flapped his wings and created a large gust of wing which tossed them across the dojo. Tom bit into one Lakador and chunked the creature away. Spyro and Cynder dashed across the dojo and to the hallways leading to the other parts of the temple. The door slid open and revealed an empty passageway, bullet and energy holes riddling the walls.

They moved down the halls more and came to a circular room with Lakadors firing onto a few Marines at the other end. The Marines were holding them off as moles and small dragonlings made their escape. The trio of Marines trying to hold off the Lakadors weren't going to last for long.

"We have to help!" Cynder said.

"Right!" Spyro said and attacked the lead Lakador, smashing him into the ground while Cynder breathed a large haze of green fog over the other Lakadors, causing them to gag and grab at their throats. They tumbled to the ground and dropped their weapons.

The others arrived just in time to tackle a group of Lakadors moving in from behind to ambush Spyro and Cynder. The two oblivious dragons turned around and smiled at the group as they knocked out the last Lakador.

"Thanks…" Spyro said.

"Anytime." Roxy said with a smile on her face.

"Look out!" Aaron called out and blasted another Lakador in the chest as he prepared to fire at Spyro. A second one rounded the corner and pointed his rifle at Spyro once more. The creature had Spyro dead to rights.

The Lakador hesitated however.

This hesitation gave Zephyr enough time to pounce on the Lakador and knocked the creature over onto the ground. He followed it up by hitting the Lakador in the head and knocking him out. They placed him aside with the others and went to the Marine squad that had come out of their cover and were already moving towards them.

"Thanks… they almost had us back there…" One of the Marines said.

"No prob!" Aaron said with glee.

Some of the moles and dragonlings came from hiding and were rewarded with a safe atmosphere rather then one filled with several creatures trying to kill them.

"Where is everyone else?" Spyro asked.

"The Guardians are out protecting the temple's base…" One of the Moles said.

"This place has gone to hell since those drop ships deployed those Lakadors in the Gardens…" One of the Marines commented as he walked near, reloading his rifle at the same time.

"Where are Wagner, Karson and the others?" Cynder asked.

"They _were_ here but went down to help defend the Temple's base. Haven't heard from 'em since." The Marine said.

They heard more shouts and ran down the hall and past a few statues and they arrived at the Gardens. A few Marines laid sprawled out in front of them and a few Lakadors stood ahead of them, firing at Moles, Dragons, Cheetahs and younglings as they sought shelter.

"We have to stop them!" Roxy yelled out. The Marines with them opened fire immediately and dropped a few of the Lakadors. Spyro, Cynder and Krypto dashed forward and plowed into the others, Krypto almost literally crushing them and tossing them aside while Spyro and Cynder pounced. Cynder bit down and grabbed a Lakador by the neck and tossed the creature aside. Spyro whipped his tail around, sweeping one of them off his feet and Spyro used his forelegs to smack the creature into the ground with great force.

A few Marines that were in the bushes opened fire and aided them, as well as Cheetahs and Moles rushing to engage the Lakadors. Soon, however, a new group of Lakadors rushed from the side and opened fire. Aaron and Roxy ducked behind a fallen pillar while two Marines caught the energy bolts and fell to the ground. A cheetah also caught a bolt of energy and collapsed onto the ground.

Spyro was about to attack when several pulse rounds passed over his head and he was forced to duck behind a fallen pillar as well.

"What the heck do we do?!" Aaron asked as more bolts hit around. Before they could react, all the Lakadors were swept off their feet and engulfed in a bright ball of fire. Spyro dared a peak and saw the Lakadors tumble of in the flames, screaming as the heat consumed them. The few that weren't torched stood in defiance, only to get smashed into the wall as a grey dragon flew out and attacked them. It was the same grey dragon from before.

The grey dragon smashed the Lakadors into the wall before spotting them as he huffed before turning to dash down an adjacent hallway.

"Wait! Stop!" Spyro called out and dashed forward, Cynder right behind him. The dragon kept going and before they knew it they had lost sight of the dragon. They turned a corner to find the dragon gone. Bewildered, they returned to the gardens and licked their wounds as they returned to the dojo as the fighting calmed down finally.

They saw Karson, Allison, Wagner and the others enter the dojo and come towards them.

"So… how're things?" Roxy asked.

"The Marines and Alliance have repelled the Lakadors… we still don't know why they attacked… seems stupid… " Wagner said.

"Maybe they're desperate…" Karson said with a slight pant in his voice. Spyro could tell they were tired. It must have been a chaotic battle down below.

"Nothing anybody does anymore makes sense…" A Marine commented.

"This whole world doesn't make sense…" Another said.

"Can it Henderson…" Wagner said, fatigue in his voice.

"Yes sir…" The soldier said in reply.

"I'll be right back… I… need to talk to someone…" Spyro said as he went out of the dojo. The others looked at him oddly and Cynder walked in his direction.

"Excuse me…" Wagner said as he left in a similar direction, clutching a wound. The others looked bewildered and almost jumped when the Guardians returned.

Spyro ran through the gardens and followed the river to the secret area. He landed in the grasses and looked around. There was nothing. Only the faint winds and night sky were dominating the area. Up until now Spyro had been running off of adrenaline. He had been pumped up from the fights but now it had come to an end and Spyro suddenly found himself feeling really tired. He gave off a yawn before looking around once more.

There were no statues.

There were no voices.

There was only silence.

Spyro sighed and sat down in the grass, letting the cool winds slap against him. The lights from the Typhus over the city illuminated the skies and created a beautiful hue that combined with the rising colors from fires and other lights within the city itself.

Citizens cleaned up the debris from the attack and lit lamps along the streets the light the way. Marines helped the clean up and Tanks were repurposed as bulldozers as they hauled away pieces of collapsed buildings.

The Typhus and a few other key locations had become the central aid station for wounded. The situation was becoming less and less suitable for defending… they had to do something… to stop all this…

Spyro felt a knot form in his stomach as he remembered what Rithul had said… he had done a horrible thing… by stopping the Great Cleansing… maybe the Dark Master was right… maybe he was meant to destroy the world… maybe this was his destiny…

"_A path is only as good as its follower believes…"_ Spyro felt a paw touch his shoulder lightly and he looked up to not see the pink statue that he was used to, but instead the Pink dragoness that it represented. A large pink dragoness stood next to him, her paw resting on his shoulders. It was Singe.

"Huh?" Spyro asked.

"Spyro… do you really believe what Malefor says? Do you think you're born to destroy the world?"

"I… I don't…"

"Well then you're not. Fate sometimes deals us a path… and we are inclined to follow…" She looked at him and smiled before continuing.

"But that doesn't mean we have to follow." She rubbed his shoulders.

"Spyro… our paths are only what we wish them to be… we choose what we want to do… and only we can walk them… don't let anyone else tell you otherwise… "

"But… then what am to do…? This is all my fault… this is all happening because of me… I should never have been born… the world would be better of that way…" Spyro said as he buried his face in the grass. Singe brought his face from the grass and brought it to face her own.

"Spyro, doing that would only run away from the worlds problems… sooner of later we must face these issues… and correct them… not run away like we have for so many millennia… countless lives have been lost… and several purple dragons have found themselves in situations like this…"

"There… were…?" Spyro asked. Singe smiled.

"You don't think all purple dragons before you were evil, do you?" Spyro shook his head.

"All purple dragons are born pure… untainted… and with the urge to aid others… like yourself. However… powers that operate nearby corrupt many into false truths… and Dark Masters are born… Malefor… was one such dragon… but there were others who stayed pure, and tried to correct the world as best they could. In the end, they failed. But they never left their path… they never once gave up hope… are you going to give up hope Spyro?"

"No… but… what can I do…?"

"Do what nobody else has done. Fix this situation, not try to prevent it. Solve this, once and for all, don't try to stop it from happening."

Spyro was confused.

"You must confront this situation at the source… and fight this evil… once and for all…"

"But what do I do? Where do I go?"

"To the north of the Burned Lands… there is a mountain pass. It is called Mandobara. It leads north to the plains of Mandobara and the forests of Mandia. Answers will be apparent once you get there… and the key to solve this whole situation… to fix it once and for all… will be there for you… "

"But… what do you mean…?"

There was no response.

Spyro looked behind him.

Singe was gone.

End of Chapter 20

Singe, Krypto, Aaron, Zephyr, Roxy, Tom, Spyro and Cynder belong to their respective owners.

The Marines, Lakadors, related characters and storyline belong to me


	21. The Pass of Mandobar

Part 5: The Assault

Chapter 21: The Pass of Mandobar

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

March 10, 2204

0721 Hours

Location known as Mandobar Pass

The trees rustled in the wind as the winds were funneled through the mountain pass. Birds chirped at a distance and the morning sun broke through layers of clouds just to the East of them. The calm was broken as a single Human Nighthawk flew over the trees, brushing against the tops of them and gliding over boulders. The Nighthawk was accompanied by two UERMC Raptors as they flew through the air.

The Gyros on the wings flared and released more fuel to lift the aircraft to avoid a large mass of rock and flew over into the central part of the pass. The two Raptors nearby did the same and flew until they reached a clearing. The Nighthawk flared its engines against and kicked up dust as it touched the ground.

A few Human soldiers deployed from the drop ship and spread out to secure the area, their rifles pointed outwards in an attempt to keep any possible hostiles away.

A few Dragons who had been in flight caught up to the drop ship and landed nearby, the grass parting as they did so. The drop ship flared its jets and rose above them and blasted its engines to gain momentum and it disappeared over the treetops. The two Raptor support craft did the same as they passed overhead. The morning sunlight reflected off of the scales of the dragons as they hit the ground and looked around, a few watching the aircraft pass overhead.

One of them, a purple one, looked around and saw the beautiful yellow-green colors radiating from the sun breaking through the clouds. He turned to see another black dragon land nearby and smiled as she touched the ground and she returned the smile. The few Marines with them, which were about five, sat in the grass with their rifles out still.

"All clear!" One of them said.

Spyro, the purple dragon in question, walked in the grass near one of the crouching Marines. After he had told them about what he had learned last night, he had been hard pressed to get Colonel Dyke to approve a major mission moving north. He had been skeptical about it, especially since he only had very sketchy information to give.

Dyke finally agreed when Rithul vouched for the information and a major ground operation was moving north towards Mandobar. Almost all of the available foot soldiers were being used, several hundred Alliance soldiers… a few hundred Marines and dozens of Tanks and other vehicles.

They had landed to make sure the pass was clear for the main assault force to move through. The group had assembled just south of the pass and were waiting the all clear.

"Let's go and make sure it's all clear!" The Marine leader said. Instead of Wagner leading, a platoon from Epsilon had come in. Under the command of Sergeant Richards the Marine group was about 10 strong. The others fell right behind as the morning winds swept through the area. Though running off of minimal sleep, Spyro was maintaining his attentiveness as best he could. He knew Cynder was in the same situation, for she had found him in the Garden. It was shortly after that they found Wagner sitting somewhere near, a pale look to him as he sat in the grass. He never said what he was doing there…

Nevertheless, they kept going. Krypto and Aaron took to the sky and flew just above them as the others continued via the ground and the calm winds created an interesting array of sounds from the whistling air to the rustling trees.

They walked through the cool grass and sunlight shined upon them. Occasionally a butterfly or two would pass by and a Marine would comment silently on how beautiful it was. Birds chirped nearby… the wind rustled the trees… and grass swayed as the moving air touched against their graceful green stalks.

"So peaceful…" Cynder said as a soft prevailing wind swept through the area and caused the trees to rustle more.

"Let's check out that ridge up top, we can see the whole pass from there!" Richards said. They nodded in agreement and climbed towards a ridge that ran along a mountainside and could see across the main part of the pass.

The climb was peaceful and uneventful, babbling brooks and small streams occupying the interesting stretch of the climb. Once they reached the top the Marines walked around to ensure the area was secure. Krypto and Aaron landed nearby and Roxy and Tom sat atop a boulder and enjoyed the morning sun as it broke through the clouds and warmed up their skin from the cool breeze coming in from the East.

A few more birds chirped over the calming sounds of trees rustling and the wind softly slapping against the area. The sun's rays cast themselves upon the ground, giving a nice warm feeling to defeat the chilling breeze. Shadows danced across the grass as the light broke through the clouds and lit up their area.

Spyro watched as a pair of Marines set themselves up along the edge of the ridge, one of them holding a rifle with a long barrel. The other soldier held onto what looked like a large cylinder attached to a stand. They sat down at the edge of the ridge and used the equipment to look across the valley. Spyro figured they were using some sort of telescopic device to see over great distances.

"Things look clear…" One of the two said.

"Let's move up, I'll signal Dyke that the path is clear." Richards said. The others got up and walked towards another portion of the ridge as the Marines along the ridge got up and shouldered their equipment.

"Colonel Dyke, this is Sergeant Richards of Recon Blue 101, path clear, we're moving up." Richards received a response over the COM and he nodded, motioning the soldiers forward again.

The Marines trotted along the path and the others followed, Krypto, Zephyr and Aaron taking to the skies. The sun was now almost fully visible through the clouds, its yellow rays casting themselves down onto the luscious green valley beneath.

Spyro craned his neck and saw the assault force.

Dozens of Tanks, Jeeps and foot soldiers advanced through the valley in the convoy like manner. Several hundred alliance soldiers accompanied them and Nighthawks and Sparrowhawks flew above, hovering over the assault force and providing an aerial view to the scope.

"Come on, let's go!" Richards said as Spyro finally noticed he had been standing still. He dashed forward to catch up with the Marines as they walked up an incline to another section of the ridge. Nearby there was a waterfall that dropped off and went directly over the ridgeline.

They reached the area and saw something troubling.

"We've got a problem…" Spyro said as he saw it before the Marines did.

"What?" Richards asked, turning to look at the dragon.

"Look!" Cynder said, pointing it out.

Behind a few Pine trees ahead of them sat a large weapon. It was a catapult that looked as if it was using dark energy as its power. There were Dark Gems all across it and it looked like a huge artillery piece.

"That thing'll murder our tanks…" One of the Marines said. Krypto let out a huff.

"You've got bigger things to worry about…" He said as he hovered in the air.

"What're you talking about?" Aaron asked but then he saw it. They all saw it.

A large army of Orcs, Grublins and other creatures were gathering in the valley, a few entrenched catapults being positioned atop small hills or atop small knolls. The army was as massive… if not… bigger then their own army moving north.

"We've got to do something!" Cynder said.

A trio of UERMC Raptors streaked over the oncoming army and dropped canisters over the army, releasing hundreds of smaller bombs that detonated and turned the scene into a haze of fire and smoke. Another pair flew over and fired their main weapons at the ground, kicking up dirt and debris as their machine guns spurted out hundreds of rounds of ammunition.

The Tanks lurched as they fired their weapons, huge shells flying across the forest and hitting the enemy army and blowing them away. The cheetahs, dragons and other races launched their own attack, rushing the flank of the enemy as the Humans fired rifle ammo, tank shells, airborne missiles and other various projectiles.

The large weapon near them fired and hit near a tank, scorching it as it lobbed a large purple sphere at the Human assault force. The tank halted as its metal was partially melted and a few Marines vanished in the purple impact.

"We need to take that out first!" Richards yelled.

"Let's go!" Aaron said as he landed and launched the attack, firing a fireball at the weapon and the ball landed harmlessly on the side of it. The Marines fired their rifles and Spyro and Cynder took the skies and flew upwards towards the weapon. A few Apes let out a wail and dashed at the line of 10 Marines.

Roxy fired her arrows, nailing three Apes as they dashed recklessly at the Humans and Tom grabbed one by the neck and tossed it off the cliff-edge, its body flying down towards the valley beneath. Krypto landed in the midst of them, tossing several aside before they even knew he was there. Aaron picked up the stragglers and tossed them into trees while Spyro enveloped his body in a wave of electricity and shocked the nearby Apes, Cynder smashing the stunned Apes into the ground and the Marines picking off the ones remaining.

"Blow that thing!" A Marine yelled and chunked a package towards Cynder who stood near the weapon. At first Cynder didn't know what to do with it, but an obvious trigger, a string to pull with a ring attached to the string gave Cynder the idea on how to trigger it. She pulled the string out and a small red light lit up on it. A second orange switch next to the words C-4 made Cynder flick her talon and press down on the orange switch, causing the light to turn an amber orange and flicker.

She tossed the device down at the weapon and rolled to the side just in time. The charge detonated, blowing the base from the weapon out and causing it to fall and hit the ground and collapsing down the cliff just ahead.

"Yeah, we kicked their ass!" One Marine called out.

"Can it, clear the area!" Richards said.

They moved and secured the area where the weapon once sat and saw the Tanks moving forward with the rest of the soldiers. They went down the ridge to a location where there was a higher ridge just nearby, facing towards their path. To their shock, a few arrows hit the ground near them and Roxy flinched as her sword began to glow- a sign of danger.

"We've got trouble!" Aaron said, seeing this.

A few Apes and Orcs sat at the top of the ridgeline, firing arrows at them.

"Take cover!" A Marine said and they dashed behind boulders to return fire and the dragons advanced, having to dodge a volley of archer fire.

Suddenly the Apes and Orcs tumbled down to the ground as a Nighthawk drop ship fired a machine gun mounted in the troop bay at the hostiles. Two Marines sitting in the troop bay assisted and fired short bursts or single shots, nailing the hostiles and causing them to tumble down.

"Move up!" Richards instructed. The Marines moved forward and the Dragons in the group took to the sky, Roxy and Tom following with the Marines as they pushed up the ridge. Two similar cannons in the valley erupted in flames as two UERNF Ravens flew over them at high speeds and delivered bombs directly on top of the cannons, blowing them apart.

Tanks rolled through forest paths and blew through Ape positions and decimating the oncoming assault force. The Cheetahs and Dragons on their flank were crushing through the Orc defensive lines, clearing through them in a quick manner. The assault was going excellent.

"Let's go!" Richards yelled. They moved towards the ridge where they had been attacked and they moved towards a rocky path that went around the ledge, forming a land bridge that ran alongside the cliff side. They walked down the narrow path and a few almost tripped and fell as the others took to the skies and flew over the high ridge, watching the Marines, Roxy and Tom traverse the area.

Once they passed up the ridge, they saw another large cannon that fired at the oncoming convoy. The same Nighthawk that had assisted them before fired its machine guns once more, ammunition hitting the defending Apes and Grublins as they dashed at the Marines moving in to assault.

"Take out that gun or this assault's over!" Richards said once more. The Marines dashed onto a small hill and fired bursts of fire at the Apes as they dashed at them. The Apes leapt, trying to catch them but were cut down by the Marines' automatic fire.

Krypto and Aaron took the initiative after that, pounding into the ground and pushing several Apes back. Aaron fired a beam of acute darkness while Krypto let lose a wave of fire which swallowed a group of Apes and Grublins whole.

Roxy rolled to the side to avoid a sword slash and countered with her own, applying enough force to throw the attacking Ape off balance and then using the blunt end of her sword to hit the Ape in the jaw and knocking it back. She then leapt at it and inserted the sword in its chest and kicked it back.

Tom pounced on an Ape as it prepared a sneak attack on the Marines and with the monkey in its mouth tossed it towards another and leapt to bite the second in the neck. A third threw its sword down and made a mad dash to retreat, only to get hit 4 times in the back by rifle rounds.

Zephyr had caught two apes in a wind attack and smashed them together as he rolled to avoid three arrows. He rolled behind a rock and got an idea in doing so. Using his wind element, he lifted the rock off the ground and hurled it at two unsuspecting Apes. The creatures let out a wail of fear and raised their hands to block in vain. Needless to say, they were crushed.

Spryo and Cynder had found themselves fighting the mass of Grublins. The smaller creatures dashed around, zipping and biting them on their arms and legs.

"Little pests!" Spyro heard Cynder sat as she caught one and smacked it into the ground with her paw. Spyro rolled to the side, grabbed one and tossed it from side to side, repeating the pattern as the creature was smacked into the ground over and over again. He tossed the creature aside and enveloped his body in flames as he plowed through five more, burning them and tossing them aside. Cynder smirked and her body vanished as she hid herself in a vial of darkness. A small black cloud was visible traveling to a crowd of Grublins and she reappeared, pushing upwards and the sudden updraft and unleashing of energy sent the creatures skyward, easy targets for Marines.

"Area clear, blow that thing!" A Marine said. As the Marines went on to place a charge on the weapon, a large crystalline creature burst out from the ground. It donned a large shield and they were those enemies that Spyro and Cynder had encountered back at the temple coming from those pods.

"Hit 'em!" A Marine yelled as they opened fire at the new creatures. The bullets hit and shattered against the armor of the creature but the armor started to crack from the bullets. It roared in defiance and more creatures rose from the ground. The Marines focused on the first and their gunfire shattered its armor and caused the crystal-like creature to fall to its knees while the Marines finished attacking it.

The other two that had emerged dashed madly at the Marines and knocked several away with one swipe. As it prepared to come again, Spyro latched onto its back and drove his claws into the crystal-like body. The creature noticed and flung him off.

Cynder hit the creature with her fear breath, but it had no effect. Instead, it hit her with its long arm. It opened its hand to reveal it had a weapon for an arm. The creature fired a salvo of dark energy spheres which detonated nearby and flung dirt and debris into the air.

Krypto snarled and flung himself at the creature, pinning it to the ground and preparing to bite it on its 'head'. The creature countered by grabbing Krypto's jaw and threatening to snap his neck.

"Krypto!" Aaron yelled as he ran from behind and blasted the creature's arm with dark energy. It had no effect.

Spyro charged a ball of fire and blasted the other creature which slashed at him, the fire having little effect. Cynder rolled to the side as it swung a sword at them and it hit the ground right next to Cynder's muzzle, eliciting a small whimper from her as she pulled herself up and growled before blasting it with shadow breath.

Spyro rolled away and fired ice shards. The ice hit the creature and stuck out of its chest as they penetrated the dark crystals. Roxy charged her arrows with energy and fired them. They hit the creatures and the arrows penetrated, causing them to roar out.

Zephyr went to aid Aaron and Krypto and with their help they shattered the creature's arm and Krypto was free. He flapped his wings and used his claws to crack the creature's chest and sent it down before driving it into a tree with his horns and hitting it repeatedly with his claws in a vengeful manner.

Finally the last of the creatures fell and Krypto retreated from the shredded crystal-creature.

"Well that was fun…" Zephyr said.

"Let's not do that again…" Roxy added as she placed her bow on her back. The Marines rigged the weapon to blow and they took cover behind boulders as they pulled the charge and detonated the gun, its wreckage tumbling down the slopes and into the valley below.

In the valley, the assault force was equal with them, the tanks the infantry driving off the opposing army and capturing the valley.

"Let's go, we've got to hook up with Delta and head up with the convoy!" Richards said and they headed off and up the ridge more, hoping to find a path that lead down into the valley.

1123 Hours

POW area, Dragon Temple of Warfang

Field Commander Yahade' sat in a cell as a pair of Cheetah guards stood nearby. That failed assault on the Human command post had gotten him captured. The Humans and dragons had overpowered him and had captured him. Now he sat with a few other prisoners awaiting interrogation. Things were not going so well…

"Yahade'…" A silent voice said into the dark cell. He looked up.

"Yahade'… over here!" He heard it again and looked up to see the Guards knocked out and saw Sondohwa standing at the cell doors. He had a cutter and was cutting the doors open. Once finished, the doors fell ajar and collided into the ground with a loud clang.

"What're you doing?!" He asked.

"Getting you out, c'mon!"

End of Chapter 21


	22. The Dragon City of Gale

Chapter 22: The Dragon City of Gale

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

March 10, 2204

1322 Hours

Plains of Mandobar

The tanks rolled out onto the fresh green rolling hills of the Plains of Mandobar. Marines and Alliance Soldiers alike strolled through the grass as the clear fields stretched on for miles in every direction, trees occasionally dotting the area. Sunlight floated from the sky above as the clouds parted to give way. Light struck their faces and a few dragons flapped their wings to land in front of the assault group.

As they did so, a pair of UERMC Raptors flew above them and flared their engines as they flew over the expanding plains, the expanse going on for as far as the eye could see, a few mountains dotting the background.

"So… what're we supposed to do now?" A black dragoness beside a purple one asked. The purple one sighed.

"I… I'm not sure…. The answer was supposed to be revealed as we came here…"

The others looked at the purple one for a moment before looking out to the plains once more. The Marines with them looked around, some checking their weapons while others shouldered their rifles and removed their helmets, enjoying the sunlight as it passed over them.

The Sergeant in the group rubbed his head and put his helmet back on and walked over to the purple dragon.

"Spyro… I need to report to the Lieutenant, what's the word?" He asked.

"I… don't know…" He said. He was at a loss for words. He had no real clue what to do next. However, he was sent here for a reason. He needed to find out why and where to go next. He sighed before turning to the Sergeant once more.

"Tell your commander that we need to keep going North." As Spyro said this he flapped his wings and he flew outwards to the trees, the black dragoness- Cynder- following. The others in the group took off after them with great speed.

The Sergeant sighed and keyed his mic.

"Yes, I know Sir… he said to keep going north…" He said to his Commanding Officer. There was a moment of silence before his commander replied and the Sergeant keyed off his mic before walking with the rest of the group towards the plains. The word soon spread to the others and the assault group moved into the plains beyond the pass, several UERMC Nighthawk drop ships landing and picking up soldiers to transport them back to base- the UERNS Typhus hovering above the pass now.

"Where are we going?" Cynder asked Spyro who just kept flying.

"I'm not sure… I'm looking for anything… a sign… a note… anything…"

"Spyro… there's nothing here… maybe you've been lied to…"

"No! This is where we need to go! I'm… I'm sure…" He said, slowing his flight as he passed through a cloud and coming to a hover.

"Spyro…" Cynder set a paw on Spyro's shoulder. "Sometimes not everything we've heard is true… maybe we should go back…" Cynder said to him. Spyro nodded and sealed his eyes. Without warning, a screeching sound broke the calm. It sounded like metal scraping against ground.

"Ow! What is that sound?!" Roxy said as she hovered nearby in the cloud.

"I don't know, I just know it hurts!" Aaron said as he gripped his head.

"Whatever it is… it is near…" Krypto said. The others flapped their wings to investigate.

1337 Hours

3000 feet above the Plains of Mandobar

"This is drop ship Bravo 7-7-2, checking in. We've hit some cloud cover over the rally point, we should be breaking through shortly."

"Roger, keep us posted."

Nighthawk Pilot James Mason sat at the controls while his co-pilot

Lieutenant Heaverson sat in the seat beside him. The clicked at the controls and flared the aircraft's engines. They were ordered to scout out the skies above the assault area, which was proving to be a daunting task due to increasing cloud cover.

"Hold on, I got something on radar…" Heaverson said.

"Hostile?" Mason asked.

"No… it's large… really large! Like a land mass!"

"Wait, what?! That's impossible! We're half a mile up!" Mason said as he flared the engines once more to get through the clouds. However, the cloud cover was not letting up, his efforts only giving way to more and more of the thick clouds. The dark grey clouds started to fill with rain and the cockpit panels were getting fogged up.

"I don't know but it's there, and we're nearing it!"

"This is impossible, how would a land mass be-" As he said this, the Nighthawk slammed into something, its belly scraping along something and a loud scraping sound entering the cockpit.

"What the hell is going on?!" Mason asked as he tried to get the aircraft to regain flight.

"I think we've ran aground!" Heaverson yelled from his seat.

"How the hell is that even possible?!" The alarm started to blare and both pilots tried to override the controls and get the aircraft aloft, but to no avail.

"Damn it! I can't get the engines to fire!"

"We're running out of ground!"

"How can you tell, I can't see a damn thing out of these clouds!"

"On the radar, look!"

"Damn it, kill the power!" With that, Mason and Heaverson both scrambled to kill the power to the engines and shut the aircraft down and caused it to screech to a halt. They both lurched in their seats as the aircraft did so and they both breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Mason unbuckled himself from the pilot's seat and gripped at his head before drawing his pistol from his holster and walking towards the troop bay. Heaverson soon followed and had his side arm drawn as well.

The two hopped from the troop bay and hit solid ground. This troubled Mason. They were more then half a mile in the sky. This should have been impossible! They walked on through the clouds, their weapons drawn and ready.

Soon the clouds parted and the sun shinned upon their faces, temporarily blinding them. When they pulled back their arms they saw something that both amazed and astonished them.

"Uh… Captain… am I seeing…?"

"I don't know… I seriously don't know…"

1339 Hours

3000 feet above the Plains of Mandobar

The group of dragons flew onwards, flying through the thick clouds as they went to find out the source of the sound.

"Wonder where the sound came from…" Zephyr said as he flapped his wings to gain more flight through the clouds. They kept flying until they heard a grunt and looked down to see Aaron smash into something. He groaned as he went stomach first into something hard.

"Ow…" He said. The others chuckled.

"What'd you get yourself into this time?" Roxy giggled as she flew over to Aaron and helped the dazed dragon off of whatever it was that he had hit.

"What'd he hit?" Spyro flew over to them, only to whack his head against something and recoil back, gripping his head. Cynder exploded in laughter.

"Nice one…" She said in-between giggles. Spyro smirked.

Spyro reached out and touched the object he had hit and found there to be something solid in the clouds.

"It's a rock…" He said. The others looked at him and a few chuckled at the thought of that. Spyro flapped his wings and flew upwards, scaling the rocks until he found an end to it. He flew forward and landed on the supposed floating rock. The others did the same and their claws clacked as they touched the concrete top to the rock.

"Where the heck are we?" Aaron asked. The others didn't respond, unable to figure it out themselves.

"Uh… guys…?" He asked once more.

"What?" Krypto asked. It was then they noticed the cracked concrete they were walking on and saw the silhouette of a Nighthawk drop ship lying ahead of them, the engines inactive.

"C'mon, they might need help!" Cynder said as she ran off, the others following.

"Guess they found this place too…" Zephyr said as he ran. The clouds began to part a bit and they arrived at the Nighthawk to find that it had landed on this large rock and had scraped its belly on it as it made a hard landing.

"Did anyone make it?" Roxy asked.

"I hope not…" Krypto said with a slight snarl. Roxy glared at him before walking and setting a hand on the drop ship's metal hull.

"Look, over there!" Aaron said as he walked over from the opposite side of the drop ship. The others went to the opposite side as well and looked on as the clouds parted. Before them stood two Marine pilots. Beyond them, lied a large floating series of islands, each housing their own city, or rather chucks to a much larger city.

"Holy…" Aaron said as he walked up.

"A floating city… only heard stories of them…" Zephyr said as he looked on.

"When I worked for the Dark Master… I looked for floating cities… dragons had been rumored to have taken shelter there to elude the Dark Master's forces… I could only find one… never thought one was right here… all this time…" Cynder said. Aaron nodded.

"I also searched… never found one for myself…" He said.

"Wait, if the planet was cracked open, wouldn't this city just have formed from it?" Zephyr suggested.

"Well… according to the stories… in the last… 'great event'… they were formed." Cynder said.

"I'm guessing the last 'great event' was a Great Cleansing…" Spyro muttered. Aaron walked over to the Marine Pilots who stood near the edge of their particular island.

"Uh… you two alright?" He asked. Neither of them responded. They only continued to look out onto the city that floated before them.

Aaron tugged at one of their pant legs.

"Uh, what?" He said.

"Uh… you alright…?" Aaron asked again.

"Uh… yeah…" The Pilot answered.

"Sir, we better call this in." The other pilot said.

"Where the hell are we anyway?" The first one asked.

"Uh… about 6 miles Northeast of the rally point…" The other responded.

"Wow… the cloud cover must have driven us off course by a great deal…"

"I'm going to contact the Colonel… we need to get our Nighthawk airborne again…"

1412 Hours

City Above the Plains of Mandobar

Three Nighthawks flew through the clouds, high above the ground below. They flew between the floating islands that made up the city and they flew towards the largest one with a large tower perched in the center, several other towers branching off and several other buildings lying nearby.

Along the outskirts of the islands the buildings were crumbled and destroyed, suggesting that the islands were once conjoined. The three Nighthawks flew towards and over the buildings, the city being almost the size of Warfang. They flew until they reached a large courtyard and the aircraft flared their engines to slow down and they lowered onto the concrete ground beneath. The landing gear deployed and the Marines inside the troop bays hopped out and walked on the courtyard.

Spyro and the others hopped out of another Nighthawk, Wagner, Karson and Allison following them. Krypto flapped in behind them, being too large to fit within the troop bay.

"All right, let's see what we've got." Wagner said. As the highest ranking Marine there, Wagner was in charge of the operations once more.

Sergeant Malarkey walked behind and Lieutenant Buckman and Lieutenant Jackson, the platoon leaders followed behind. The courtyard was silent, devoid of life. The Marines landing grasped their rifles tightly, looking around.

"It's quiet… too quiet…" Karson said as he un-shouldered his shotgun and put his M74C on his back. Allison grabbed her M74D and Wagner held onto his own M74 rifle. Spyro walked forward, his talons clacking on the hard ground. Cynder strolled in from behind and the Nighthawk pilots emerged from the aircraft, side arms in hand.

"Let's go." Wagner simply said and motioned his hand forward. The Marines nodded and a squad moved forward, their rifles pointed outwards.

"Where is everybody?" Aaron asked in a whisper. Roxy shook her head as if to say, 'I don't know'. Krypto sniffed their and returned his gaze to the advancing Marines.

"We have company…" Wagner looked at him and motioned for the Marines to halt, them going into a crouching position and keeping their rifles outward as they did so.

"I don't see crap…" A Marine said. Roxy reverted to her Human form and dusted herself off a bit but gasped as her sword began to glow.

"Uh… guys…"

As she said this, arrows pinged off of the concrete nearby to the soldiers.

"Contacts!" One yelled out. The others raised their rifles and fired off short bursts at wherever the arrows had originated. However, the supposed contacts were unseen to the others.

"What the hell is shooting at us?!" A Marine said as he fired his rifle randomly three times as he searched for a target.

"I have no clue!" Another said as he ducked to avoid a flying arrow.

"Form up, form up!" Wagner yelled. An arrow hit a Marine in the chest but his body armor deflected the arrow and he grunted as he shrugged off the hit.

The Marines continued to fire their rifles in short bursts until they saw a contact at last rise from the nearby bushes on the opposite side of the courtyard. It was a female anthropomorphic dragon with cloths and armor plating covering her body. She held onto a bow and arrow and a sword hung at her side. Around her neck lay an amulet with a beautiful blue gemstone in the center.

She held up her hand and the arrows stopped firing at them. As soon as she had risen from the bushes, the Marines had her right in their gun sights. Wagner saw her act of non-aggression and acted fast.

"Wait, hold your fire!" He said. The Marines lowered their rifles at once and let the empty shells fall from their rifles as they looked to their Lieutenant.

Wagner turned to the Female who hopped from the bushes and darted to them with great agility, her legs moving with grace as she dashed at them and came to a stop in front of Spyro.

"It's the Purple Dragon…" She said as she stood in front of him.

"Yeah, my name's Spyro!" He said to her with a slight smile.

"Pleased to meet you Spyro." She said. She then turned to face Lieutenant Wagner as he approached.

"And… who and what might you be…?" She asked.

"Could ask you the same thing. My name's Lieutenant Jonathan Wagner, United Marine Corps." He said as he extended his hand. She smirked and took it, shaking it in her own.

"Charmed…" She simply said.

"Young purple dragon, what brings you here…? Do you know anyone by the name of… the Dark Master…?"

"Yes… we know him…" Aaron said with a bit of anger. Krypto huffed.

"We came here because we wanted to know more about this place. We found this place by accident." He explained. She looked at him oddly before turning.

"So… who are you?" Spyro asked.

"My name is Sarah of Gale. This is the Dragon City of Gale." She explained.

"Wow…" One of the Marines said silently. Many of them looked around, taking in the sights of the beautiful city, its pearl white marble and concrete structures… its stone walkways and stairs…

"Gale? So only dragons live here?" Cynder asked as she walked up.

"That is correct. My ancestors built this city before it was erected into the sky like it is now. That does not hinder us. Though I've never really seen a dragon of your kind before…" She said as she eyed Spyro and Cynder.

"Likewise." Cynder said in return. She motioned with her hand and several male and female anthro dragons rose from behind garden bushes, stairs, columns and other forms of cover, all holding weapons and wearing armor. They walked casually over to the Marine Company and group of dragons.

"So… you are a… United Marine…? Never heard of that race before… or is that the name of an organization?" Sarah asked Wagner as she turned back around to him.

"No, the United Earth Republic is our government. The Marine Corps is the Military. Our species is called Humanity. I am a Human."

"Interesting… how is it we've never encountered your kind before…? She asked once more.

"Because we're… " He took a glance around the city and his fellow soldiers.

"… not from around here…" He said.

"And where might you come from?"

"A far off place… called the Colonies." She eyed him with interest before turning to Spyro.

"So… you're the legendary purple dragon… I suppose you're the one who stopped the Dark Master and his armies before… correct?"

"Yes…"

"Thank you so much! You've liberated the world from a tyrannical evil!"

"Well… its not that good… he's back…"

"Oh… thought something was amiss down below… our sages could feel something stirring beneath Gale…"

"That's why we've come north… to get rid of him." Spyro said and Cynder smiled.

"Oh… you must meet my father! He would be so pleased to meet you!" She grabbed Spyro's hand and lead him off towards the main stairs in the courtyard that lead to another courtyard on a higher level.

"Wait!" Cynder said and she ran off.

"1st and 3rd platoons, stay with the drop ships! 2nd on me!" Wagner said as he ran off to follow, the Marines of 2nd falling in behind. Aaron, Krypto, Zephyr, Roxy and Tom dashed to follow as well, the Marines with the drop ships watching and scratching their heads as they watched them run off up the stairs.

Sarah lead Spyro through several courtyards until they reached the base of the large tower that sat in the center of the guards at the door saw Sarah and nodded as they stepped aside and opened the doors. She lead him down through marble clad hallways adorned with columns and several beautiful statues, mosaics and artworks.

"Wait up!" Cynder called as she dashed after them, the Marines running in as well before the guards could close the doors.

They reached an enormous hallway with a chair at the end, a male anthro dragon with a royal cape sitting atop it.

The dragon stood up as he saw his daughter drag in Spyro.

"Who is this dragon, and why have you brought him before me?" He asked in a gruff voice.

"Father, this is the legendary purple dragon Spyro!" She proclaimed.

"The legendary purple dragon? The one who defeated the other purple dragon… The Dark Master…?" He asked.

"Yes! He is!" She proclaimed once more. The royal figure bowed before Spyro.

"We shall prepare a feast!" He proclaimed.

Spyro closed his eyes and laughed in an embarrassed matter. He wasn't used to being treated with such fanfare.

At this point the others ran in, very winded from their run towards the tower.

"I assume these are friends of his?" The King asked.

"Yes… we… are…" Wagner huffed.

"Spyro… she… runs… too fast…" Cynder panted before bringing herself together and walking back up to Sarah who still clutched Spyro's hand.

"Excellent! Guard, have the chef prepare a royal banquet for them! At once!" The King said to a nearby guard who nodded and left to an adjacent door.

"Please, I am Lord Macaban. Pleased to meet the legendary dragon known as Spyro of the Surface…" He said as he walked down to meet them, his cape draping along the floor.

"Excellent! We shall invite all to the feast! You all must be tired, you should rest at once! Guards, show them their new rooms!" As he said this the guards grabbed their equipment and items and showed them to their rooms.

"Nice…" A Marine said.

"You can say that again…" Zephyr commented.

"Go get the other Marines and have the Nighthawks on guard with a circulating squad." Wagner instructed, pointing to a Marine Corporal.

"Yes sir!" He said as he darted out.

They walked down the halls, viewing the beautiful marble columns that lined the halls. Windows lining the walls allowed sunlight to illuminate the corridors and a few Marines peered out over the city.

As a vast contrast to Warfang, which used traditional brown/tan colored bricks and structures, Gale used white marble, concrete and masonry. Several green bushes and plants lined the buildings, walkways and staircases. There were no streets in the city. Instead, the city was composed of several courtyards connected by staircases, walkways, and other methods of connection. All the courtyards were conjoined and lead higher and higher into the city.

Several anthro dragons walked inside the courtyards and walkways, some adorned in armor and others in a 'civilian' outfit- cloths that covered their private areas. Some males wore a cape, but many chose not to and had a toga-like outfit on them. The Females only wore cloths over their private areas.

They reached their rooms, beautiful rooms built in marble, like everything else, and had a large bed in the center, a large window overlooking the main island of Gale filtering light in. The Marines paired in twos into the rooms and split on down the corridor.

"The feast will be served later today. I urge that all attend…" As the Macaban left, Sarah strayed around Spyro, Cynder, Wagner Karson and Allison as they crowded into one of the last rooms available. The other dragons had gone off into their own rooms, and they ended up the ones being left over at the end with one room left.

They sat in the room, Wagner, Karson and Allison lacking their combat armor but still wearing their uniform and their rifles tossed to the side.

"So… what's it like… on the surface…?" She asked.

"It's… not that different…" Spyro said.

"Well… the solid ground is different down there, its not all concrete or marble." He explained.

"Really?! I've heard stories from foragers that there are trees that grow naturally down there… that there's 'grass' that grows everywhere and things called rivers… "

"Yeah… rivers, grass, trees, it's all down there…" Cynder said with a smile.

"You've never been down to the surface?" Spyro asked.

"Father doesn't allow me to accompany the foragers that go down to hunt for food to stock up our supplies… he says that it's way too dangerous… sometimes our foragers do not return…"

"Oh… well its really beautiful down there…" Spyro said.

"It's beautiful up here." Karson said before peering outside once more.

"What's it like on your world? There rivers, trees and grass there too?" She asked the Humans in the room.

"Yes, we've got lots of that." Wagner said while munching on a snack bar he foraged out of his backpack.

"Is it much different from this place?"

"Well… we could say that this place is _very much_ different. We've never had things like 'floating cities' or creatures attacking."

"So you all know of the Dark Master, correct?" She asked once more.

"Yes, we're… all too familiar with him…" Spyro said, a bit of anger in his voice.

"I've heard that he's the scourge of the surface world… but he never did do much to our city…"

"He never attacked the city?" Spyro asked, interested.

"Well… there were some instances… but he never drove us to the point of suffering or extreme destruction from it… only instances of skirmishes and what not… but other then that he left us alone…"

"How did you guys survive… the… er… Great Cleansing?" Cynder asked, interested on how the isolated region such as Gale survived the planet cracking.

"You mean the Great Event? We hid in our homes and we were shielded by the base of the islands from it… we weren't harmed too much…"

"So… you guys have never really been at war with The Dark Master?" Allison asked, turning her view away from the window.

"No… we've never really had a reason to really be afraid of him… our warriors always fended off whatever creatures found their way up here… they did harass our travelers that went below… but never too bad… we've been pretty much untouched by him…" She explained.

She turned her attention to Wagner.

"So… how did you guys come here… if you're not native to this place as you say..." Wagner thought about it for a few seconds.

"Well… we're at war ourselves. We were defeated and were forced to come here. We've been stuck here since." He didn't mention 'space travel', because she wasn't sure she was familiar with that concept or that a 'space' existed other then stars that dotted the sky.

"Oh wow… who're you guys fighting?"

"A race of draconic creatures called 'Lakadors'. For some reason they decided they didn't like us and attacked us, destroying a few of our colonies."

She pondered on his statement. It was so exciting! To mix cultures with another creature… another race! It was definitely something new for Sarah. For someone who had been restricted to the palatial island almost her whole life, she had been so curious about other civilizations… about other cultures… other lives… other species… to meet a non-draconic race was just so exciting to her!

For years she had snuck off the island and gone off to the others, sneaking into the library at night and learning from scrolls and books that had been there for centuries or found on the surface. She had read so much but had never met a 'surface dweller' before. Now she was sitting before farel dragons and non-draconians… ' Humans'… this was just so much for her!

And none other then Spyro sat before her! She had heard stories of him from travelers and foragers… how there was this purple dragon destined to save the world… destined to save them all… from ironically another purple dragon who was out to destroy the world. Even though she had heard awful stories of The Dark Master, he had never really come up to bother them… only small skirmished between the Dark Armies and their warriors had ever been recorded. She couldn't help but look at Spyro with awe… and admire him… in more then just his accomplishments… he was a good looker…

But sitting before her was a real legend… wow… her friends would be delighted to hear this! Well… that is… if she could really meet them. She had been isolated her whole life that she had to _sneak _out to just make friends with others outside of the palace or the local guards. It had taken MAJOR nudging just to convince her father to let her join the Guards. Even at that, she could only really be around the palace. That didn't mean she didn't… sneak… out a few times.

Boy… and the other dragon with him… 'Cynder'… she wasn't sure if she was the 'Serpent of Horrors'… or 'Shadow Queen'… as told by the foragers… the evil Dragoness that actually had harassed their foragers to a great degree, forcing them to divert away from the Peninsula of the Dragon and to the Mainland. She had been afraid of her as a little girl… and now there was a 'Cynder' sitting before her. VERY much similar to the one who she had been terrified of as a little girl… she just had to know…

"Cynder… do you by any chance know of a 'Cynder' who used to work for the Dark Master?" She asked. Cynder looked up in shock and stared at her for a few seconds, her eyes suggesting she was living a horrible memory. She shook her head and finally opened her mouth to reply.

"Yes… yes… I am the 'Cynder' who worked for the Dark Master…" She sighed.

"But that's all behind me now, I never want to relive those days again!" She threw in before Sarah could reply to that. She shrugged, thinking about the things she must've done back then to garner such hatred of her past… then again… most anyone would do the same… after all… she had been a servant of the Dark Master…

"Is there any way to see the city? Would be something to see…" Allison asked.

"Sure! Follow me!" Sarah said, grabbing Allison's hand and taking her down out of the room. The others got up and quickly followed her.

They ran down the hallways until they reached a balcony overlooking a courtyard, a fountain beneath, a few citizens walking and doing daily routines beneath them.

Sarah flapped her wings and flew down from the balcony and landed in a garden that ran along a wall that was on the outside of the courtyard boundaries. The others looked at each other before continuing, Cynder and Spyro flying down, Karson, Allison and Wagner going down a rope that they had tied to the railing and landing down in a garden, stumbling a bit as they recovered. They drew the curious stares from citizens walking about.

A few murmurs from the others caused the Humans to smirk as Spyro, Cynder and Sarah strolled over.

"C'mon you guys! I want to show you guys something!" She grabbed a hold of Spyro's arm and led them across the courtyard, getting an agitated glance from Cynder.

"Where're we going?" He asked as she led him along.

"To this place, it's one of my favorite places in the city!" They went through several different areas until they reached a high platform with a railing. Once she released Spyro's arm he rubbed it and looked out and saw why she loved it so much.

The view encompassed a few islands but a full view of the Main Peninsula, or the Peninsula of the Dragon- the area where the Dragon race had once reined supreme- now a loosely populated region with the occasional settlements, such as Warfang and the small and dwindling population of dragons. Gale was probably the single largest population of dragons in a single area.

From that vantage point he could see Warfang, the Burned Lands, the Silver River, The Valley of Avalar, the Mandobar pass… the islands that lay far beyond… Tall Plains in the far distance… they were even higher then they were when they were perched atop the 'Floating Islands'- the area they were at before they took on Malefor only a few weeks ago.

"Wow…" Cynder said as she saw it. The way the clouds parted and the atmosphere curved created a beautiful blue aura to cover the landscape, bathing it in a level of awe that they had never seen before.

"This is my favorite spot… to just sit and see…" She said as she looked out.

"Hard to believe we've only been down there… seemed so big… now it seems small now…" Allison said as she looked out as well.

Karson let out a long whistle at the sight. Wagner merely just kept looking out. He usually wore ballistic goggles over his eyes. This time, he viewed the area with his bare eyes, his hair brushing in his blue eyes and the beauty of the region setting in.

"Well… this is just one part of the city… there's more…" She said.

"I'd love to see it all!" Allison said.

"Well follow me!" Sarah proclaimed. Once more they were off… going through passageways and hallways… passing courtyards and other areas. Sarah showed them through many different areas, including the library, a restaurant, and even a small stadium where there was a race going on.

As they were watching the race, a Guard appeared nearby.

"Attention miss… the feast is set to begin… Macaban requests your presence…" He said.

"Well let's go then…" Sarah said as they stood up and walked back to the Palace. They entered and walked into a grand hall where the food was. Various smells and other scents assaulted their noses as the food was laid out before them.

"Holy shit…" One of the Marines muttered.

"One moment sirs… the lord will be here shortly before the feast will begin…" A servant said before leaving the room, Guards standing watch nearby. Everyone began to take their seats.

1745 Hours

Dragon City of Gale, Palatial hallway leading to Grand Hall

Private First Class Andrew Tamez walked down the hallway, rubbing his hand on his uniform. He had to divert from the feast for a second to use the bathroom. It had taken him forever to find the freaking restroom and now he was on his way to the feast. The hallway he was in was dark, only lit by the light coming from outside.

One of the doors nearby was slid open slightly and a few voices filtered out from within the room. Tamez kept walking, not wanting to stumbled upon something not in his business.

"So… are they… ready…?

"Yes Master… they will be dealt with easily…"

These words suddenly caused the Marine private to stop in his steps, turning to look at the door. The young Hispanic walked closer to the door, trying to hear in on the conversation.

"How many of them are there…?"

"About 120 of their combatants… and about 6 Dragons…"

"Excellent… is he… with them…?"

"Yes… and the black one… Cynder… They're both here…"

"Excellent… enact the plan immediately…"

Tamez needed to hear no more. It was a trap! The whole thing was! He had to warn the others! He drew his pistol from his holster and ran off, only to stop when he saw those Orcs and Grublins run down the hall towards the feast hall. Undeterred he ran off, itching to get there before they did. As he ran the corner, he ran smack dab into a group of Dragon Guards. They were the guards for Macaban. They growled at the sight of him, their spears pointed directly at him and swords already at his chest. Unarmored, he posed no threat at all.

He groaned and growled with distaste as he dropped his side arm and lifted his hands up to surrender.

1746 Hours

Grand Hall of the Gale Palace

"Spyro, where are you going?" Cynder asked.

"I need some fresh air real quickly, I won't be long." After saying this, Spyro retreated from the feasting hall, walking outside to where he saw Wagner standing as well, going to sit on the railing with a disassembled M74D assault weapon.

"Why are you out here?" Wagner asked, fiddling with his rifle as he held the barrel up.

"I could ask you the same question." Spyro said in reply. Wagner shifted a bit on the railing as he checked his rifle barrel once more.

"I don't know… something just doesn't feel right. Can't shake a feeling." Wagner said as he whipped more grime from the inside of the barrel.

"I just needed a bit of fresh air."

"Aren't you hungry?"

"Yeah… but I'd rather eat, not smell it and die of hunger…" Spyro said with a chuckle.

"I know what you mean…" Wagner said with a chuckle as well. Wagner finished the maintenance on the rifle and locked its pieces back together with a few reassuring clicks.

"This place… it's so strange the Dark Master hasn't touched it." Wagner said while looking out once more. While they sat they saw a few Marines sitting with them, though only two of them, looking out over the city.

Suddenly a new sound caught their ears, that of shuffling footsteps approaching the Grand Hall…

"Our Master is here!" A servant proclaimed. At that moment Macaban walked through the doors and sat down at the head of the long table. The others in the room quickly took their seats, Sarah sitting near her father with Cynder next to an empty seat.

"Let the feast, begin!" He said and the soldiers and dragons within the group started to chow down on the food. Suddenly the doors burst open and Grublins, Orcs and other soldiers dashed into the room, weapons at hand.

"You are all under arrest… for treason against the true lord…" Macaban said.

"Father?! What is going on here?!" Sarah proclaimed as she was grabbed from her seat by two Orcs.

"I'm sorry Sarah… I should have told you sooner… but now you know… you only need to side with us... to be spared this…" Sarah looked at her father with shock. She couldn't believe what she was hearing! Her father was in league with the Dark Master!

"I'll never submit to that evil dragon!" She yelled out. Her father sighed.

"I'm so sorry Sarah…" He said. The other Marines tried to fight the Orcs, but they lacked any weapons or armor of any kind and were all captured immediately.

"Pathetic!" Krypto called out as he smashed Orcs and Grublins against the wall, not willing to give up.

A few more figures entered, those black clad soldiers from before Warfang and from the Mandobar Pass. They pointed their weapons at Krypto and blasted him into the wall. He hollered aloud as he hit the wall and slumped to the floor.

Aaron and Zephyr sprung into action, only go get kicked into the wall by the overwhelming number of enemy soldiers. The Guards cornered Cynder, Roxy and Tom in a corner, denying them any way to attack or defend themselves.

Sarah let a torrent of tears flow down her face as she was carried away into the group of Marines being chained together. This was the worst day of her life… she never imagined she would be betrayed… by her own father! It was horrible…

She kicked and screamed as the Orcs carried her away, not wanting to except the harsh reality of what was unfolding before her very eyes.

"What the hell?!" Spyro said as he saw Orcs and other soldiers charge into the Grand Hall.

"I knew something was up…" Wagner said as he slapped a clip into his rifle and looked to the other Marines who drew their side arms, lacking rifles.

"Go get every Marine you can find! Get battle ready and hold a position in the courtyard!" He ordered. They nodded and ran off to find other Marines not caught in the trap.

"Cynder!" Spyro called out but Wagner grabbed his tail.

"There's too many, we need another plan!" He said. Spyro sighed and nodded.

They ran along the walkway running along the side of the building. They could see the courtyard where the Nighthawks were perched. The Marine squad on current duty was in open engagement, firing upon Guards and Orcs dashing at them. They had to hurry though. There was no way a squad of 5 could hold out forever.

"We have to help them!" Spyro said.

"We need more help, there's no way we can fight off an army that large by ourselves!" Wagner said.

"What do we do?!"

"I need to call for help, my radio is on my helmet and it's in our room! We have to get there!" Wagner said once more while checking their six.

"Well let's get there!" They dashed down the halls to the rooms, finding the hallway crowded with Orcs, Marines being tied up and tossed aside and other curious palace residents being treated the same by the Orcs.

"Damn it!" Wagner said as he fired his rifle, hitting a few Orcs in the plain open and cutting them down. He ceased fire as Spyro charged ahead, biting one Orc and tossing him into the wall, allowing Wagner another shot. He took the shot and opened fired another burst, hitting more Orcs.

Spyro rolled to the side as an Orc swung a sword at him, grabbing his sword and shattering it with one swift motion. He then used his tail to knock the Orc onto its back and he fired an Earth Blast, the shotgun-like blast breaking the creature's rib cage and killing it.

"Clear down!" Wagner yelled. The Marines held themselves to the floor as Wagner swept the room with gunfire, finishing off the rest of the hostiles in the hallway.

As the smoke cleared, Spyro went forward and bit the rope restraints on the Marines' harnesses, freeing them. They got up, rubbed their wrists and ran into their rooms, fetching their armor and weapons. The civilians dashed off, unsure of what to do.

Wagner dashed into his room, grabbed his armor and helmet and clicked on his microphone.

"Hello, this is Wagner, is anyone there?!"

He only got static in response.

"Damn it this is useless!" He threw down his rifle in frustration, sighing as he picked it back up and made sure his gear was on right.

"So… what now…?" Spyro asked.

"I… I don't know… I just don't know how we can fight all those creatures off…" He said in reply.

"Well then we're just going to have a jail break… you in?" Spyro asked.

Wagner nodded. They ran down the hall, the newly armored Marines behind them lugging their weapons, their clips still not loaded yet.

They ran down the halls back out to where they could see the courtyard. The Marine squad was still there, firing from inside the troop bay and trying to fend off the Orcs who were pinned down behind a few fallen pillars. The Dragon Guards charging were either dead or had fled the scene.

"Some dinner…" A Marine muttered.

"We've got no time to waste; we've got to get to those trapped in the Grand hall!" He said as a few of the Marines fired short bursts at the Orcs pinned down behind the pillars.

As they neared the sealed doors to the grand hall, there were numerous guards in front of the door.

"You'll never be able to plow through all those guards…" Wagner said. Spyro smirked at him.

"Stay here, we'll distract them. Once we draw their attention get in there and we'll try to get in the back and aid." Wagner said while motioning the Marines to move in another direction.

"Good luck." Spyro said as he saw Wagner nod and lead the Marines away. As they left Spyro sat and watched the guards stand about. The doors to the Grand Hall opened and more of those drones and Orcs walked out with the Marines in captivity, Cynder, Aaron, Zephyr, Roxy, Tom and Krypto held in chains that were clasped to their neck, binds on their arms glowing purple. Spyro growled as he saw this. He couldn't bare to see his friends like this.

He heard distant thumps and the guards snarled and ran towards the source of the sound, letting their guard down on the Marine and dragon captives. Spyro chose this time to strike. He dashed forward, cutting down the first orc which was guarding the prisoners, tossing him aside just as the others grabbed their spears.

"Spyro?!" Cynder asked as she saw him, trying to move but the binds seeming to sap her strength.

"Cynder!" Spyro said as he blew a fire ball at a guard and kicked another aside, making his way to her. Once near her he used his paw to shatter the chains. They dangled down and Cynder grasped at her neck where the brace had once been. Before she could do anything else, however, Spyro planted a kiss on her lips, rubbing the back of her neck and releasing her from his grasp. She smiled at him warmly but was brought back to as more of the guards rushed them.

"Get the others!" He said. She nodded and went to shatter the other's bindings.

"Quickly, get to the rooms to get your equipment!" One of the Lieutenants called out. The other soldiers quickly made their way towards the rooms to grab their weapons.

Cynder had just released the others from their bindings in time for Spyro to toss a trio of guards into the wall, preparing a fireball for two rushing drones.

"Let's show these guys how to fight!" Aaron called out as she pulled off the muzzle guard that kept him from using his breath attacks. The others assisted Spyro and dashed forward, blowing them back into the hall and or off the sides of the railings.

"Where's Sarah?" Spyro asked as he noticed she wasn't there.

"Her father had her taken in a different way, we don't know where she is!" Cynder said as she walked up.

"We have to find her, come on!"

"Look, contacts coming up the sides!" A Marine yelled. True enough, there were enemies pulling themselves up along the edges of the island.

"We'll hold 'em off!" Lieutenant Buckman said as he cocked his rifle and fired a trio of shots, causing an Orc to fall on the ground, dead.

The Marines set up along the railings and fired their rifles as the others ran down the stairs to the side and up to a second level above them that served as a balcony overhang.

"We saw them take her up some stairs, she should be on the upper levels of this place!" Cynder said as they climbed, Roxy firing three arrows in quick succession and causing a trio of grublings to twirl in mid air and fall to the ground.

"We need to hurry then!" Spyro said and noticed a pair of fallen Marines lying ahead of them. This was the path that Wagner was going to flank around by. He must have hit a lot of trouble. This wasn't good.

"Wait for us! We want to help!" Karson said as he and Allison ran up to them.

"Well let's hurry, they have Sarah captured!" Spyro said as he turned to face the two Humans. They caught up with them and Karson undid the Shotgun he had on his back and cocked it once. Allison only had a side arm but frost floated up from her hands as she powered them up.

They continued onwards until they reached an entrance leading into the structure, passing through lavish hallways and many specially designed suites. As they continued they came across another fallen Marine and they could hear footsteps above them.

"We're close!" Karson said.

A roar diverted their attention as an Orc and Drone shuffled down a narrow staircase and spotted them.

"Show 'em up!" Aaron said as he flapped his wings and blew darkness at the Orc, making it collapse into the staircase. Karson fired his shotgun and the Drone was put down in a similar manner, the buck from the shotgun shattering its crystal-like skin.

They moved on up passed the two bodies and ran up the staircase until they reached another villa room, a few pieces of furniture lying against the walls and two Orcs standing guard. Upon spotting them they were immediately taken down, one by Krypto's large claw and the other by Spyro's and Allison's well aimed ice shards.

They passed them up and went deeper into the structure, hoping to find Sarah in time.

1801 Hours

High Tower

Sarah lied down on the floor, her mind lost in thoughts. She couldn't believe this was happening. The Orc guards had locked up the Dragon guards and had taken her up to a higher level of the palace with her father's wishes.

"Sarah… you must understand…" He said. She whimpered her denial to his statement.

He sighed.

"Sarah, I did this for our people… if I had not have agreed to this the Dark Master would have led his forces against us and this city would have fallen long ago… "

She continued to look at the floor in disgust of her father.

"I agreed to this so our city would be safe… safe from the clutches of the Dark Master… " As he said this he sighed and turned to leave. More guards appeared and snickered to themselves as they undid spears and approached the defenseless Sarah, one kicking her before chuckling and Sarah let out a pained groan.

"What is going on, what are you doing to my daughter?!" Macaban asked as he walked back into the chamber. The guards snarled and knocked him to his feet.

"Guards help! This isn't what we bargained for!" He said as he threw himself back up.

"Too bad…" One of the Orcs said in a throaty voice.

They returned their attention to Sarah as she lied on the ground, kicking her and laughing as they did so.

Without warning, the wall near to them blew open and a grey dragon pulled himself through the opening. With a swipe of his tail he threw the Orcs of their feet and stomped on them. The lifeless Orcs lied on the ground and the grey dragon turned to look at Sarah who looked up at him and looked into the dragon's eyes.

A nearby BANG caused them to turn their attention to what was happening outside the room. Sarah got to her feet with her father and looked outside to see two Orcs and three Drones get tossed to the other side of the room, Spyro's muzzle smoking as he approached.

"Where's Sarah?!" Karson asked as he cocked his shotgun once more.

"She's safe! She's right here…" Macaban said.

"I should have never trusted the Dark Master…"

"Don't worry daddy… we can fight them off…" Sarah responded to her father.

It was at that moment that the grey dragon made himself known to the others and they noticed him at once.

"You! You're the one from the Burned Lands and from Warfang! Who are you?!" Spyro asked.

The dragon didn't reply. Instead, he flapped his wings and broke through a nearby wall and flew off into the sky.

"Well some hello…" Zephyr commented.

As the dragon left the room shook violently.

"What the…?!" Spyro asked as the building lurched and they slid on the floor as the island lost its balance.

"Something must be disturbing the life force of the islands!" Macaban yelled.

"The what?!" Aaron asked.

"The force that keeps these islands suspended above the world!" Macaban yelled as he picked himself up.

"Where might that life force be?!" Karson asked as he held himself to the floor as the building violently rocked again.

"It is at the base of the island, the lowest level of this castle…"

"How do we get there?!"

"There is a passage, under the main courtyard!"

"That's where we're headed then!" Spyro said.

They tried to regain their balance and they managed to move out of the chambers and back down the stairs they had been climbing. Along the way down they caught sight of Dragon Guards fending off the Orcs and Drones from the inside, the battle looking like the Guards could win, but as long as the Marines could hold them off from the outside.

Upon reaching the courtyard they saw the Marines trying to hold themselves upright as more and more Orcs and Grublins stormed the main courtyard in front of the palace.

"Let's get down there!" Spyro said as he leapt down and rolled to a stop in the courtyard, the others following. An Orc began to madly swing his sword at Spyro as he landed and a quick flick of his tail sent the attacker onto the ground and with another lurch from the island sent the Orc airborne, as well as the attackers.

"This island isn't going to stay suspended forever at this rate!" Karson said as he held onto his shotgun and fired another shot, a grublin being sent airborne from the blast.

Suddenly the island lurched and they could see that they were beginning to fall.

"We'll be in free fall if we don't do something and fast!" Sarah yelled as the clouds swirled around them from their sinking island.

"The passage is beneath the courtyard, beneath the statue of the dragon in the center!" Macaban yelled. There was a statue of an anthro dragon standing in the center of the courtyard, it standing atop a pedestal. The passage had to be beneath the pedestal.

"C'mon, this way!" Spyro said as he went over to the pedestal. The others followed and the Marines continued to fire their weapons as more and more enemy soldiers stormed the island and entered the city.

They dashed to the pedestal and after Macaban muttered something a passage opened up with a staircase leading into the rocky area beneath the courtyard.

They immediately entered.

They climbed down and felt the island shutter and shake under stresses. Finally after climbing for a few minutes they reached a large cavern which revealed that the base of the island was hollow, a large cavern occupying that area. The bottom of the cavern was gone, the landscape beneath visible there instead. In the center there was a stalactite reaching down with a blue crystal that was pointed downwards. However, there was a black gem covering much of the blue crystal and a black beam was shooting downwards. They were also in freefall, the ground growing closer.

"We have to take it out!" Cynder yelled and Krypto, Aaron and Spyro took action immediately.

"Uh oh, we've got trouble!" Roxy said as her sword began to glow.

Two large drone creatures pulled themselves up in front of them and smacked Zephyr and Allison into a wall. Tom was about to pounce when the second drone threw him aside.

"Get down!" Karson yelled as he fired a shotgun round into the large creatures, the lead one growling and smacking his weapon away.

"Crap!" He yelled before ducking to avoid the second blow. He unleashed a jet of fire out at them as they drew near and they roared out.

A blast of black hit the lead one and it staggered back, Cynder growling and ready for another attack.

Spyro soared over to the gem, the dark energy keeping him at bay.

"I can't get near it!" He said. A blast hit the shield and dissipated.

"Can't just blast it either…" Krypto said with a huff.

Aaron charged a blast of darkness and fired it at the shield, it lighting up to repell. Krypto, seeing this, fired his fire breath at it, causing the shield to weaken.

Spyro soared in and slammed into the shield full force, feeling it give way under his force. He flew towards the crystal and with a single swipe he shattered the dark gemstone and watched the shards be suspended in the air as the island continued to freefall.

"We're still falling!" Aaron said as he gripped the cave roof.

"Great, now what?!" Zephyr said as he rolled away as one of the large drones swipped at him.

"I have no clue!" Spyro said as he gripped the crystal to avoid being slammed into the roof as the island got closer and closer to the ground.

As he gripped it, it glowed bright blue and a beam shot out and into a large sinkhole beneath the islands, possibly being a mile wide and the same length deep. Spyro saw the beam hit the ground and the island suddenly stopped falling. The drones both fell off the ledge from the force and tumbled towards the sinkhole beneath, allowing the others to stand up and see what had happened.

"Wow… Spyro… how'd you do that?" Cynder asked.

"I have no clue…" Spyro said as he continued to cling onto the crystal.

"C'mon, there're still some enemies above us trying to invade the city!" Karson called out, finding his shotgun and cocking it. The others, having breathed a sigh of relief in seeing the island began to float slowly upwards nodded.

1823 Hours

City of Gale

"Contacts, right there, right there!" A Marine yelled out as he fired a burst. The Marine phase line set up in the courtyard had fallen, the Marines breaking up into squads and retreating into the inner city. Many had set up on top of staircases and mowed down anything that tried to climb them with the help of the dragon guards.

So far, they were being pushed farther and farther into the city. They continued to retreat and fire bursts at the Drones, Orcs and Grublins as they pushed them up the stairs.

The Guards were trying their hardest to engage them, but there so much that they were overwhelmed. The Marines couldn't hold out and continued to retreat up the stairs, firing their rifles as they ran, short bursts nailing targets and sending Grublins and Orcs tumbling down the stairs.

"We can't hold out forever Lieutenant!" A Soldier yelled as they ran down a narrow alleyway that had plants running along the passageway's lengths. Buckman grunted and fired his SMG behind him as he ran.

"We've got to get to a defendable position!" Buckman yelled as they ran.

"Sir, over here, a flight of stairs!" A Marine Corporal said and fired a short burst from an M78C. The squad ran up the stairs and three went into kneeling positions and fired their M74Ds and Cs. Orcs and other foot soldiers were caught in the alleyway and tumbled as the assault rifle fire hit them and knocked them down.

"Reloading!" A soldier said and dropped a clip to insert another.

"Oh shit, here they come!" A Sergeant yelled.

"Go!" Buckman yelled as he pulled on the release lever to his gun, trying to un-jam the rifle as a cartridge got caught in the ejection port. As he got the empty round to come out, he raised his rifle and fired a short burst before running up the stairs with his retreating Marines.

They ran to a large passageway joining the main staircase and running to a courtyard, more retreating Marines making their way up.

"Holy shit, look at them come!" A soldier yelled.

"Keep firing!" Another Lieutenant yelled.

"There's too many!"

"Damn it!"

Suddenly a large dragon threw himself out of a nearby garden and landed near the Marines, a beam of blue energy gathering in its maw and he fired it at the enemy foot soldiers, whipping them off the face of the city. They looked at the new dragon- a large grey one. The dragon looked at them for a bit before flapping its wings and flying over the newer enemies, blowing them away with another blue beam.

"C'mon, let's go!" Buckman yelled and soon, the Marines were making their way back to the palatial courtyard.

March 11, 2204

1102 Hours

City of Gale, Palatial Courtyard

"Thank you… for all you have done!" Macaban said.

"It was nothing…" Aaron said. The others looked at him and broke out in laughter.

"Thank you for everything… specially you Spyro…" Sarah said as she walked up and kissed him on the head. This enraged Cynder.

"Hey! You little… he's mine!" She said. Sarah tossed her a playful glance which caused Cynder to huff in response.

Sarah threw her tongue out in defiance and gave Cynder a raspberry which caused her to yell out and chase after Sarah, the dragoness running off as the mad serpent gave chase.

Spyro chuckled a bit and smiled as he saw Wagner being carried by his arms, the Marine Officer suffering a blow to the head during his diversion and being knocked out.

The soldiers were moving back to the Nighthawks, a drop ship already airborne and being sent from Dyke, investigating the radio blackout that the Marines were under.

"Well… our Commander is out of it for the moment but I speak for everyone when I say it was a pleasure to help and just call when you guys need help." Buckman said to Macaban with his hand extended.

"Oh, we'll be sure of that… stop by anytime, you're more then welcomed." He said in reply and took the Officer's hand, shaking it.

_"Move out when ready Lieutenant, the Colonel wants your unit mobile again."_ The Nighthawk pilot sent a message to Buckman and he nodded as he replied and nodded to Macaban who in turn nodded.

"Well let's get underway then." Buckman said as he saw Wagner rub his head and stand on his own feet.

_"Copy, we'll move in and report to Dyke once we've-"_

"Incoming!"

At once, a purple missile streaked up from below and smashed into the tail end of the Nighthawk that had been hovering in the air, sending it in a fury of purple debris and metal.

_"This is Delta 5-5, mayday! Mayday!"_ The drop ship pitched and lost its balance, the ship falling to the depths below and smoke trailing out the end of it as it did so.

"Oh no!" Cynder cried out as she stopped chasing Sarah and noticed Spyro dashing towards the edge of the island.

"Spyro, no!" She yelled. Too late. Spyro leapt over the edge and spiraled downwards towards the falling drop ship, seeing a few soldiers had been jettisoned from the ship and were freefalling towards the sinkhole below, a 2 mile drop awaiting them.

End of Chapter 22

Krypto belongs to Kryptangel92

Roxy and Tom belong to Roxydragoness

Zephyr belongs to Dragonheart666666

Aaron belongs to Dragonfreak1112

Spyro and Cynder belong to Sierra Entertainment

The UERMC, Dragon City of Gale, Anthro Dragon race that resides there and story plot belong to me


	23. The Betrayal

Chapter 23: The Betrayal

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

March 10, 2204

1746 Hours

Grand Hall of the Gale Palace

"Spyro, where are you going?" Cynder asked.

"I need some fresh air real quickly, I won't be long." After saying this, Spyro retreated from the feasting hall, walking outside to where he saw Wagner standing as well, going to sit on the railing with a disassembled M74D assault weapon.

"Why are you out here?" Wagner asked, fiddling with his rifle as he held the barrel up.

"I could ask you the same question." Spyro said in reply. Wagner shifted a bit on the railing as he checked his rifle barrel once more.

"I don't know… something just doesn't feel right. Can't shake a feeling." Wagner said as he whipped more grime from the inside of the barrel.

"I just needed a bit of fresh air."

"Aren't you hungry?"

"Yeah… but I'd rather eat, not smell it and die of hunger…" Spyro said with a chuckle.

"I know what you mean…" Wagner said with a chuckle as well. Wagner finished the maintenance on the rifle and locked its pieces back together with a few reassuring clicks.

"This place… it's so strange the Dark Master hasn't touched it." Wagner said while looking out once more. While they sat they saw a few Marines sitting with them, though only two of them, looking out over the city.

Suddenly a new sound caught their ears, that of shuffling footsteps approaching the Grand Hall…

"Our Master is here!" A servant proclaimed. At that moment Macaban walked through the doors and sat down at the head of the long table. The others in the room quickly took their seats, Sarah sitting near her father with Cynder next to an empty seat.

"Let the feast, begin!" He said and the soldiers and dragons within the group started to chow down on the food. Suddenly the doors burst open and Grublins, Orcs and other soldiers dashed into the room, weapons at hand.

"You are all under arrest… for treason against the true lord…" Macaban said.

"Father?! What is going on here?!" Sarah proclaimed as she was grabbed from her seat by two Orcs.

"I'm sorry Sarah… I should have told you sooner… but now you know… you only need to side with us... to be spared this…" Sarah looked at her father with shock. She couldn't believe what she was hearing! Her father was in league with the Dark Master!

"I'll never submit to that evil dragon!" She yelled out. Her father sighed.

"I'm so sorry Sarah…" He said. The other Marines tried to fight the Orcs, but they lacked any weapons or armor of any kind and were all captured immediately.

"Pathetic!" Krypto called out as he smashed Orcs and Grublins against the wall, not willing to give up.

A few more figures entered, those black clad soldiers from before Warfang and from the Mandobar Pass. They pointed their weapons at Krypto and blasted him into the wall. He hollered aloud as he hit the wall and slumped to the floor.

Aaron and Zephyr sprung into action, only go get kicked into the wall by the overwhelming number of enemy soldiers. The Guards cornered Cynder, Roxy and Tom in a corner, denying them any way to attack or defend themselves.

Sarah let a torrent of tears flow down her face as she was carried away into the group of Marines being chained together. This was the worst day of her life… she never imagined she would be betrayed… by her own father! It was horrible…

She kicked and screamed as the Orcs carried her away, not wanting to except the harsh reality of what was unfolding before her very eyes.

"What the hell?!" Spyro said as he saw Orcs and other soldiers charge into the Grand Hall.

"I knew something was up…" Wagner said as he slapped a clip into his rifle and looked to the other Marines who drew their side arms, lacking rifles.

"Go get every Marine you can find! Get battle ready and hold a position in the courtyard!" He ordered. They nodded and ran off to find other Marines not caught in the trap.

"Cynder!" Spyro called out but Wagner grabbed his tail.

"There's too many, we need another plan!" He said. Spyro sighed and nodded.

They ran along the walkway running along the side of the building. They could see the courtyard where the Nighthawks were perched. The Marine squad on current duty was in open engagement, firing upon Guards and Orcs dashing at them. They had to hurry though. There was no way a squad of 5 could hold out forever.

"We have to help them!" Spyro said.

"We need more help, there's no way we can fight off an army that large by ourselves!" Wagner said.

"What do we do?!"

"I need to call for help, my radio is on my helmet and it's in our room! We have to get there!" Wagner said once more while checking their six.

"Well let's get there!" They dashed down the halls to the rooms, finding the hallway crowded with Orcs, Marines being tied up and tossed aside and other curious palace residents being treated the same by the Orcs.

"Damn it!" Wagner said as he fired his rifle, hitting a few Orcs in the plain open and cutting them down. He ceased fire as Spyro charged ahead, biting one Orc and tossing him into the wall, allowing Wagner another shot. He took the shot and opened fired another burst, hitting more Orcs.

Spyro rolled to the side as an Orc swung a sword at him, grabbing his sword and shattering it with one swift motion. He then used his tail to knock the Orc onto its back and he fired an Earth Blast, the shotgun-like blast breaking the creature's rib cage and killing it.

"Clear down!" Wagner yelled. The Marines held themselves to the floor as Wagner swept the room with gunfire, finishing off the rest of the hostiles in the hallway.

As the smoke cleared, Spyro went forward and bit the rope restraints on the Marines' harnesses, freeing them. They got up, rubbed their wrists and ran into their rooms, fetching their armor and weapons. The civilians dashed off, unsure of what to do.

Wagner dashed into his room, grabbed his armor and helmet and clicked on his microphone.

"Hello, this is Wagner, is anyone there?!"

He only got static in response.

"Damn it this is useless!" He threw down his rifle in frustration, sighing as he picked it back up and made sure his gear was on right.

"So… what now…?" Spyro asked.

"I… I don't know… I just don't know how we can fight all those creatures off…" He said in reply.

"Well then we're just going to have a jail break… you in?" Spyro asked.

Wagner nodded. They ran down the hall, the newly armored Marines behind them lugging their weapons, their clips still not loaded yet.

They ran down the halls back out to where they could see the courtyard. The Marine squad was still there, firing from inside the troop bay and trying to fend off the Orcs who were pinned down behind a few fallen pillars. The Dragon Guards charging were either dead or had fled the scene.

"Some dinner…" A Marine muttered.

"We've got no time to waste; we've got to get to those trapped in the Grand hall!" He said as a few of the Marines fired short bursts at the Orcs pinned down behind the pillars.

As they neared the sealed doors to the grand hall, there were numerous guards in front of the door.

"You'll never be able to plow through all those guards…" Wagner said. Spyro smirked at him.

"Stay here, we'll distract them. Once we draw their attention get in there and we'll try to get in the back and aid." Wagner said while motioning the Marines to move in another direction.

"Good luck." Spyro said as he saw Wagner nod and lead the Marines away. As they left Spyro sat and watched the guards stand about. The doors to the Grand Hall opened and more of those drones and Orcs walked out with the Marines in captivity, Cynder, Aaron, Zephyr, Roxy, Tom and Krypto held in chains that were clasped to their neck, binds on their arms glowing purple. Spyro growled as he saw this. He couldn't bare to see his friends like this.

He heard distant thumps and the guards snarled and ran towards the source of the sound, letting their guard down on the Marine and dragon captives. Spyro chose this time to strike. He dashed forward, cutting down the first orc which was guarding the prisoners, tossing him aside just as the others grabbed their spears.

"Spyro?!" Cynder asked as she saw him, trying to move but the binds seeming to sap her strength.

"Cynder!" Spyro said as he blew a fire ball at a guard and kicked another aside, making his way to her. Once near her he used his paw to shatter the chains. They dangled down and Cynder grasped at her neck where the brace had once been. Before she could do anything else, however, Spyro planted a kiss on her lips, rubbing the back of her neck and releasing her from his grasp. She smiled at him warmly but was brought back to as more of the guards rushed them.

"Get the others!" He said. She nodded and went to shatter the other's bindings.

"Quickly, get to the rooms to get your equipment!" One of the Lieutenants called out. The other soldiers quickly made their way towards the rooms to grab their weapons.

Cynder had just released the others from their bindings in time for Spyro to toss a trio of guards into the wall, preparing a fireball for two rushing drones.

"Let's show these guys how to fight!" Aaron called out as she pulled off the muzzle guard that kept him from using his breath attacks. The others assisted Spyro and dashed forward, blowing them back into the hall and or off the sides of the railings.

"Where's Sarah?" Spyro asked as he noticed she wasn't there.

"Her father had her taken in a different way, we don't know where she is!" Cynder said as she walked up.

"We have to find her, come on!"

"Look, contacts coming up the sides!" A Marine yelled. True enough, there were enemies pulling themselves up along the edges of the island.

"We'll hold 'em off!" Lieutenant Buckman said as he cocked his rifle and fired a trio of shots, causing an Orc to fall on the ground, dead.

The Marines set up along the railings and fired their rifles as the others ran down the stairs to the side and up to a second level above them that served as a balcony overhang.

"We saw them take her up some stairs, she should be on the upper levels of this place!" Cynder said as they climbed, Roxy firing three arrows in quick succession and causing a trio of grublings to twirl in mid air and fall to the ground.

"We need to hurry then!" Spyro said and noticed a pair of fallen Marines lying ahead of them. This was the path that Wagner was going to flank around by. He must have hit a lot of trouble. This wasn't good.

"Wait for us! We want to help!" Karson said as he and Allison ran up to them.

"Well let's hurry, they have Sarah captured!" Spyro said as he turned to face the two Humans. They caught up with them and Karson undid the Shotgun he had on his back and cocked it once. Allison only had a side arm but frost floated up from her hands as she powered them up.

They continued onwards until they reached an entrance leading into the structure, passing through lavish hallways and many specially designed suites. As they continued they came across another fallen Marine and they could hear footsteps above them.

"We're close!" Karson said.

A roar diverted their attention as an Orc and Drone shuffled down a narrow staircase and spotted them.

"Show 'em up!" Aaron said as he flapped his wings and blew darkness at the Orc, making it collapse into the staircase. Karson fired his shotgun and the Drone was put down in a similar manner, the buck from the shotgun shattering its crystal-like skin.

They moved on up passed the two bodies and ran up the staircase until they reached another villa room, a few pieces of furniture lying against the walls and two Orcs standing guard. Upon spotting them they were immediately taken down, one by Krypto's large claw and the other by Spyro's and Allison's well aimed ice shards.

They passed them up and went deeper into the structure, hoping to find Sarah in time.

1801 Hours

High Tower

Sarah lied down on the floor, her mind lost in thoughts. She couldn't believe this was happening. The Orc guards had locked up the Dragon guards and had taken her up to a higher level of the palace with her father's wishes.

"Sarah… you must understand…" He said. She whimpered her denial to his statement.

He sighed.

"Sarah, I did this for our people… if I had not have agreed to this the Dark Master would have led his forces against us and this city would have fallen long ago… "

She continued to look at the floor in disgust of her father.

"I agreed to this so our city would be safe… safe from the clutches of the Dark Master… " As he said this he sighed and turned to leave. More guards appeared and snickered to themselves as they undid spears and approached the defenseless Sarah, one kicking her before chuckling and Sarah let out a pained groan.

"What is going on, what are you doing to my daughter?!" Macaban asked as he walked back into the chamber. The guards snarled and knocked him to his feet.

"Guards help! This isn't what we bargained for!" He said as he threw himself back up.

"Too bad…" One of the Orcs said in a throaty voice.

They returned their attention to Sarah as she lied on the ground, kicking her and laughing as they did so.

Without warning, the wall near to them blew open and a grey dragon pulled himself through the opening. With a swipe of his tail he threw the Orcs of their feet and stomped on them. The lifeless Orcs lied on the ground and the grey dragon turned to look at Sarah who looked up at him and looked into the dragon's eyes.

A nearby BANG caused them to turn their attention to what was happening outside the room. Sarah got to her feet with her father and looked outside to see two Orcs and three Drones get tossed to the other side of the room, Spyro's muzzle smoking as he approached.

"Where's Sarah?!" Karson asked as he cocked his shotgun once more.

"She's safe! She's right here…" Macaban said.

"I should have never trusted the Dark Master…"

"Don't worry daddy… we can fight them off…" Sarah responded to her father.

It was at that moment that the grey dragon made himself known to the others and they noticed him at once.

"You! You're the one from the Burned Lands and from Warfang! Who are you?!" Spyro asked.

The dragon didn't reply. Instead, he flapped his wings and broke through a nearby wall and flew off into the sky.

"Well some hello…" Zephyr commented.

As the dragon left the room shook violently.

"What the…?!" Spyro asked as the building lurched and they slid on the floor as the island lost its balance.

"Something must be disturbing the life force of the islands!" Macaban yelled.

"The what?!" Aaron asked.

"The force that keeps these islands suspended above the world!" Macaban yelled as he picked himself up.

"Where might that life force be?!" Karson asked as he held himself to the floor as the building violently rocked again.

"It is at the base of the island, the lowest level of this castle…"

"How do we get there?!"

"There is a passage, under the main courtyard!"

"That's where we're headed then!" Spyro said.

They tried to regain their balance and they managed to move out of the chambers and back down the stairs they had been climbing. Along the way down they caught sight of Dragon Guards fending off the Orcs and Drones from the inside, the battle looking like the Guards could win, but as long as the Marines could hold them off from the outside.

Upon reaching the courtyard they saw the Marines trying to hold themselves upright as more and more Orcs and Grublins stormed the main courtyard in front of the palace.

"Let's get down there!" Spyro said as he leapt down and rolled to a stop in the courtyard, the others following. An Orc began to madly swing his sword at Spyro as he landed and a quick flick of his tail sent the attacker onto the ground and with another lurch from the island sent the Orc airborne, as well as the attackers.

"This island isn't going to stay suspended forever at this rate!" Karson said as he held onto his shotgun and fired another shot, a grublin being sent airborne from the blast.

Suddenly the island lurched and they could see that they were beginning to fall.

"We'll be in free fall if we don't do something and fast!" Sarah yelled as the clouds swirled around them from their sinking island.

"The passage is beneath the courtyard, beneath the statue of the dragon in the center!" Macaban yelled. There was a statue of an anthro dragon standing in the center of the courtyard, it standing atop a pedestal. The passage had to be beneath the pedestal.

"C'mon, this way!" Spyro said as he went over to the pedestal. The others followed and the Marines continued to fire their weapons as more and more enemy soldiers stormed the island and entered the city.

They dashed to the pedestal and after Macaban muttered something a passage opened up with a staircase leading into the rocky area beneath the courtyard.

They immediately entered.

They climbed down and felt the island shutter and shake under stresses. Finally after climbing for a few minutes they reached a large cavern which revealed that the base of the island was hollow, a large cavern occupying that area. The bottom of the cavern was gone, the landscape beneath visible there instead. In the center there was a stalactite reaching down with a blue crystal that was pointed downwards. However, there was a black gem covering much of the blue crystal and a black beam was shooting downwards. They were also in freefall, the ground growing closer.

"We have to take it out!" Cynder yelled and Krypto, Aaron and Spyro took action immediately.

"Uh oh, we've got trouble!" Roxy said as her sword began to glow.

Two large drone creatures pulled themselves up in front of them and smacked Zephyr and Allison into a wall. Tom was about to pounce when the second drone threw him aside.

"Get down!" Karson yelled as he fired a shotgun round into the large creatures, the lead one growling and smacking his weapon away.

"Crap!" He yelled before ducking to avoid the second blow. He unleashed a jet of fire out at them as they drew near and they roared out.

A blast of black hit the lead one and it staggered back, Cynder growling and ready for another attack.

Spyro soared over to the gem, the dark energy keeping him at bay.

"I can't get near it!" He said. A blast hit the shield and dissipated.

"Can't just blast it either…" Krypto said with a huff.

Aaron charged a blast of darkness and fired it at the shield, it lighting up to repell. Krypto, seeing this, fired his fire breath at it, causing the shield to weaken.

Spyro soared in and slammed into the shield full force, feeling it give way under his force. He flew towards the crystal and with a single swipe he shattered the dark gemstone and watched the shards be suspended in the air as the island continued to freefall.

"We're still falling!" Aaron said as he gripped the cave roof.

"Great, now what?!" Zephyr said as he rolled away as one of the large drones swipped at him.

"I have no clue!" Spyro said as he gripped the crystal to avoid being slammed into the roof as the island got closer and closer to the ground.

As he gripped it, it glowed bright blue and a beam shot out and into a large sinkhole beneath the islands, possibly being a mile wide and the same length deep. Spyro saw the beam hit the ground and the island suddenly stopped falling. The drones both fell off the ledge from the force and tumbled towards the sinkhole beneath, allowing the others to stand up and see what had happened.

"Wow… Spyro… how'd you do that?" Cynder asked.

"I have no clue…" Spyro said as he continued to cling onto the crystal.

"C'mon, there're still some enemies above us trying to invade the city!" Karson called out, finding his shotgun and cocking it. The others, having breathed a sigh of relief in seeing the island began to float slowly upwards nodded.

1823 Hours

City of Gale

"Contacts, right there, right there!" A Marine yelled out as he fired a burst. The Marine phase line set up in the courtyard had fallen, the Marines breaking up into squads and retreating into the inner city. Many had set up on top of staircases and mowed down anything that tried to climb them with the help of the dragon guards.

So far, they were being pushed farther and farther into the city. They continued to retreat and fire bursts at the Drones, Orcs and Grublins as they pushed them up the stairs.

The Guards were trying their hardest to engage them, but there so much that they were overwhelmed. The Marines couldn't hold out and continued to retreat up the stairs, firing their rifles as they ran, short bursts nailing targets and sending Grublins and Orcs tumbling down the stairs.

"We can't hold out forever Lieutenant!" A Soldier yelled as they ran down a narrow alleyway that had plants running along the passageway's lengths. Buckman grunted and fired his SMG behind him as he ran.

"We've got to get to a defendable position!" Buckman yelled as they ran.

"Sir, over here, a flight of stairs!" A Marine Corporal said and fired a short burst from an M78C. The squad ran up the stairs and three went into kneeling positions and fired their M74Ds and Cs. Orcs and other foot soldiers were caught in the alleyway and tumbled as the assault rifle fire hit them and knocked them down.

"Reloading!" A soldier said and dropped a clip to insert another.

"Oh shit, here they come!" A Sergeant yelled.

"Go!" Buckman yelled as he pulled on the release lever to his gun, trying to un-jam the rifle as a cartridge got caught in the ejection port. As he got the empty round to come out, he raised his rifle and fired a short burst before running up the stairs with his retreating Marines.

They ran to a large passageway joining the main staircase and running to a courtyard, more retreating Marines making their way up.

"Holy shit, look at them come!" A soldier yelled.

"Keep firing!" Another Lieutenant yelled.

"There's too many!"

"Damn it!"

Suddenly a large dragon threw himself out of a nearby garden and landed near the Marines, a beam of blue energy gathering in its maw and he fired it at the enemy foot soldiers, whipping them off the face of the city. They looked at the new dragon- a large grey one. The dragon looked at them for a bit before flapping its wings and flying over the newer enemies, blowing them away with another blue beam.

"C'mon, let's go!" Buckman yelled and soon, the Marines were making their way back to the palatial courtyard.

March 11, 2204

1102 Hours

City of Gale, Palatial Courtyard

"Thank you… for all you have done!" Macaban said.

"It was nothing…" Aaron said. The others looked at him and broke out in laughter.

"Thank you for everything… specially you Spyro…" Sarah said as she walked up and kissed him on the head. This enraged Cynder.

"Hey! You little… he's mine!" She said. Sarah tossed her a playful glance which caused Cynder to huff in response.

Sarah threw her tongue out in defiance and gave Cynder a raspberry which caused her to yell out and chase after Sarah, the dragoness running off as the mad serpent gave chase.

Spyro chuckled a bit and smiled as he saw Wagner being carried by his arms, the Marine Officer suffering a blow to the head during his diversion and being knocked out.

The soldiers were moving back to the Nighthawks, a drop ship already airborne and being sent from Dyke, investigating the radio blackout that the Marines were under.

"Well… our Commander is out of it for the moment but I speak for everyone when I say it was a pleasure to help and just call when you guys need help." Buckman said to Macaban with his hand extended.

"Oh, we'll be sure of that… stop by anytime, you're more then welcomed." He said in reply and took the Officer's hand, shaking it.

_"Move out when ready Lieutenant, the Colonel wants your unit mobile again."_ The Nighthawk pilot sent a message to Buckman and he nodded as he replied and nodded to Macaban who in turn nodded.

"Well let's get underway then." Buckman said as he saw Wagner rub his head and stand on his own feet.

_"Copy, we'll move in and report to Dyke once we've-"_

"Incoming!"

At once, a purple missile streaked up from below and smashed into the tail end of the Nighthawk that had been hovering in the air, sending it in a fury of purple debris and metal.

_"This is Delta 5-5, mayday! Mayday!"_ The drop ship pitched and lost its balance, the ship falling to the depths below and smoke trailing out the end of it as it did so.

"Oh no!" Cynder cried out as she stopped chasing Sarah and noticed Spyro dashing towards the edge of the island.

"Spyro, no!" She yelled. Too late. Spyro leapt over the edge and spiraled downwards towards the falling drop ship, seeing a few soldiers had been jettisoned from the ship and were freefalling towards the sinkhole below, a 2 mile drop awaiting them.

End of Chapter 22


	24. Hidden Truths

Chapter 24: Hidden Truths

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

March 11, 2204

1107 Hours

Sinkhole beneath the Dragon City of Gale

The drop ship hit the ground with a thump as it skid across a concrete base and came to a halt as the emergency engines ignited to slow the craft's decent.

Spyro flew down, holding a Marine as best he could and flew to where the air craft had hit the ground. The sink hole went on for a while, easily going to a mile. At its base there was a large lake, water flowing from cracks in the sink hole walls that possibly were from the planet crack and ran all the way to the ocean. In the middle of the lake sat a large island, with what looked like ruins sitting atop it. In fact the drop ship had hit the ground into what looked like a street.

Spyro touched down and sat the soldier against a rock nearby as he walked over to the smoking drop ship, a soldier lying slumped on the street, dead. Another sat inside the troop bay, blood dripping from his mouth and his helmet missing.

Spyro walked over and felt his chest and ensured he was breathing. He set the soldier next to the other one and walked inside the cockpit to find both pilots dead. Full of grief, he walked out of the drop ship and sat on the 'street'.

He had been too late.

He had let them die.

With a sigh he was about to take off to alert the others to survivors down here when he noticed his surroundings around him. The area around him did indeed look like a ruins. The buildings here though weren't of any origins he was familiar with… instead they bared markings and designs he had never seen before.

The entire 'city' had been torn apart… not by time… but by a catastrophe… Rubble lied in the streets as something had happened what looked like eons ago. What it was, he couldn't say. Walking down the street he noted what looked like buildings and business centers, what would have been shops or other buildings of the sort.

After walking through a few more broken stones and other structures he noticed the silver metal he had been accustomed to from the temples they had found scattered across the lands. The metal structures were almost identical in architecture.

As he looked around, he heard the distant chirps of birds as they flew overhead and gave a nice soundtrack to the already surreal scene.

Suddenly, a new sound was heard. It sounded like… giggling? Spyro was sure of it! He heard giggling in the ruins!

"Did you hear that…?" Spyro asked as he walked near the now awake Marine rubbing his forehead.

"I didn't hear nothing… you're hearing things…" He said as he continued to lie against the broken rock. Confused, Spyro walked back to the streets and looked around, once again hearing giggling. He looked around, still trying to figure out just where that laughing was coming from. It was beginning to creep him out, his inability to find it was starting to rack his nerves.

Frustrated, he started through the ruins, still keeping within eyesight of the crash as he walked through the 'streets'. As he walked, he caught a glimpse of a small blue dragoness. As he looked at her fully, she giggled and retreated into the ruins.

"Wait, who are you? What is this place?!" Spyro called out as he made a dash after her.

As he went after her, he noticed more debris and destruction and that the place did resemble a city of some sorts. He followed her through broken buildings and leaping to the top floor and running onto the street once more to find the dragoness on the far side, sitting at the corner of the street and giggling.

Spyro gasped for his breath for a few more times before chasing again, the dragoness disappearing behind the corner and Spyro rounded it and halted in his tracks.

The dragoness was gone, instead a skeleton of a young dragon sitting in front of a pile of rubble from a collapsed building. The rib cage of the dragon had been shattered, other bones lying around and broken buildings as well.

He stared at the dragon's remains for a bit before coming to a chilling conclusion. He nearby threw up in his mouth as he did so and walked over to check the horn patterns, verifying his initial thoughts. It was the girl from earlier. He was going crazy.

Once more he heard the giggling, with renewed vigor this time and he looked up and around once more to see the dragoness sitting in a vacant room to his far left. It was a large, empty and spacious room; its only occupant would be broken rocks and the lone dragoness.

"Who are you?!" Spyro asked once more but she merely giggled and smiled as she turned to run once more. With exhaustion, he gave chase once more. During his chase, he saw her go through a hole in the floor and he leapt in after her, the passage being dark and her blue silhouette being his only light.

He groaned before continuing, his mind trying to figure out still what was going on around here but failing to do so. As he saw more light coming from the opposite end the dragoness seemed to all but vanish, leaving him with his own thoughts as he reached the end, finding himself at the edge of a building and overlooking a large silver metal structure protruding from the lake beneath. He was at the edge of the island.

Looking down he wondered why she lead him here when the rock beneath him shattered and he went tumbling into the waters beneath. Coughing and spurting, he surfaced and regained himself, looking up at the island and the silver structure he was approaching via the water current. Not having much anywhere else to go, he paddled over to the metal tower and found a vent to enter. He walked through the silver vent until reaching a large room, a platform in the center.

As he set foot on the platform it turned a vibrant purple and began to lower, sinking far into the depths of the tower. It finally came to a halt and Spyro looked on to see an underwater passage leading back to the island. The walls were made of a see through material so he could see the waters and the blue hue of the water carried over to the hallways and gave the area a feeling of majesty. In awe, he began to walk down the path, looking at the fish and plants as he passed them by.

He reached the island again but it was blocked by a large golden door. He touched the door and it glowed purple before sliding open and revealing another tunnel leading towards a large chamber far ahead of him.

He looked in awe as he reached the massive chamber, golden statues of dragons encircling the room and a small platform in the center holding a massive statue of a dragon that Spyro had never seen before. The statue was colored blue and white, varying with the scale patterns of the dragon. Its eyes were pure gold.

"Welcome young dragon… it is a great honor to meet a dragon such as yourself…" A voice said from nowhere yet everywhere.

"Huh, who said that? Ignitus? Chronicler?" Spyro asked as he heard it.

"No young dragon… I am not the usual dragons you have been talking to…"

"Then who are you?"

"A friend." He merely responded.

"What is this place…? The area above… what… what is it?" Spyro asked.

"What you saw is the ancient ruins of your ancestors… "

"My ancestors?"

"Yes… before the last firing there used to be many other races of dragons and Humans built these structures… and shaping your destiny…"

"Why my destiny? Why mine…?"

"Spyro it is simple… and yet not so simple…"

"Huh…?"

"You see Spyro… these creatures have set upon you the buildings blocks to your future… only because you made it so…"

"I don't understand…"

"Do you know why the weight of the world is on your shoulders?"

"Because I'm purple?"

"No… in fact being purple isn't what makes you special… being purple is a side effect of being special… and in fact anyone can be purple if they wanted…"

"Huh?"

"Spyro… your body… you're genetic structure… is no more different from that of a blue dragon… a red dragon… or a black dragon…"

Spyro sat confused at his statement.

"You are exactly like them…"

"Then how am I purple, how am I able to do things they can't?!" Spyro asked.

"Young dragon… you draw power from inside of yourself… there is a trait however that you carry… unlike everyone else… it is the key to your powers and your strength… it makes you who you are and gives you the power to defeat anything…"

"What is it?! I must know!"

"You should… you've used it before… when you first defeated Malefor it played a large part in doing that… and even in saving this world…"

"What is it?! Please tell me!"

"It is your heart."

"My what…?"

"You're heart. You're heart has such passion… such love… such drive… that has enabled you to abilities other dragons cannot wield. You're heart is what has given you your strength. You're ability to go on even when all the cards are down gives you your strength and empowers you…"

"Like I said… it is the key… and it is your destiny… I'm sure that by now, you've been told you have many different destinies you have to follow…"

"Yes…"

"Would it make you confused it I said that the destiny of the purple dragon has always been subject to change? What if I told you your core destiny… your real future… and the future that every purple dragon has had…"

"What is it?"

"To lead. For better or for worse your species are born leaders. They either lead the people to ultimate victory over evil… or like what's been happening… subject to lead an army of evil to conquer and destroy… you are the rare break in the cycle… even when others have tried so hard you have come so far… a true testament to the ability of the purple dragon to lead…"

"To lead…" Spyro said softly.

"You are not in this battle alone young one… you have an army of those behind you, spurred on by your ability to forgive and your compassion… by your love and determination… you are their leader… use your heart to lead them… it is the key… it is your secret weapon…"

Spyro sat and looked at the statue once more.

"Listen to your heart… for it will never fail you…"

"But… I still have a question… how can I stop this… how can I finally stop this chain of disasters… I must know… I must!"

"Spyro… sometimes you cannot prevent an event… but you must instead let it happen… but sometimes… you can control just how it happens… and make the outcome better… listen to your heart and use it… it is the key…"

The voice faded.

Spyro sat in silence, looking around before pondering intensely on the statement the mystery figure had just told him. He got up and started walking down the halls, seeing engravings of battles being fought by both Humans, Dragons and other creatures, some resembling Lakadors.

As he went he made note of the architecture in these buildings different then some on the surface that he had come across. Why? Were they made by different species? Different races? At different times as well? He didn't know really. He sighed and looked more at the engravings, noticing one of a young purple dragon sitting in a confused stance, a large grey dragon behind him, in a comforting manner.

"Who's that…?" Spyro asked himself, remembering seeing a grey dragon JUST like that in his travels.

"You're wondering who that is, do you…?" The same voice from before answered.

"Yes… I've seen him before, who is he?"

"It's quite simple really… he's your protector, the individual sent here to ensure that you are fully capable of realizing your full potential."

"Then why have we not met face to face and why has he only just now come, along with the other species as well, like the Humans?"

"The Humans' arrival is not that of coincidence Spyro. They came here because something happened to do so. The same thing goes with you and this individual. He was sent here to aid you in this, the most troubling times. There is a crossroads forming Spyro, use the advise and information taught to you by all… and use it to the best of your abilities… whether through victory or failure your example will set the stage for all to follow and for all to triumph in the face of impossible odds… like you have before…"

The voice once again faded and left Spyro wandering in his thoughts and in front of this image. He walked through the large chambers once more, peering out of the windows to the submerged regions of the sinkhole outside and watching the fish swim. The whole underground installation was given a blue hue from all the water flowing outside, making the air have a feeling of awe, or majesty.

He continued to walk and look at more of the battle scenes depicted on the walls, being in awe at the history of the world he once thought to be so simple. As he walked on he saw a large diagram of a circular structure that had five key points embedded on it. A lot of runes were around it but no actual way of telling what it was. Without warning however, one of the small key points, the one on the far right, lit up and the entire area began to shake.

"What's going on?!" Spyro said.

"It has begun…"

End of Chapter 24


	25. The End of the Beginning

Chapter 25: The Beginning of the End  
Dragon Realms, Uncharted System  
March 11, 2204  
0924 Hours  
Dragon City of Warfang

Yahade ran with Sondohwa as they dashed through the halls of the Dragon Temple, trying to find an exit. They hadn't encountered any Marines… or too many other creatures… they were using side passages rather then main routes to get around. As they heard footsteps getting near they decided to stop.

"I saw that they were keeping a captured AGIS fighter in a makeshift hanger up ahead… we can use it to get out of here…" Sondohwa said silently to Yahade who used his captured Human rifle to slap a new clip into the weapon.

As the footsteps went away they trotted through the halls until Yahade saw a platform outside their area, an AGIS Lakador fighter sitting on the platform, ready for take off. Hopefully it had a full compliment of fuel and was ready to fly off.

They would have to hurry to reach the platform and take off without Human anti aircraft batteries shooting them down. Nevertheless, this was going to be hard just getting to the aircraft, it being on the other side of the area.

"Let us hurry… I can smell Humans approaching…" Sondohwa said.

"Do not shoot recklessly Sondohwa, we need stealth, not a higher kill count." Yahade' said silently and the other Lakador gave him a frown.

They moved silently through the hallways, seeing a few Dragon's or a Cheetah or Mole roaming the halls. They'd stop, watch and then soon after make a dash for the opposing hallway and they'd make their way to the fighter sitting on the platform.

As they reached the outer hallways bordering the pad Yahade' stood up and looked around, unfortunately, a Marine guarding the fighter saw this.

"Look, over there!" He yelled.

"Contact!" Another yelled.

The twin sounds of rifle fire split the calm and bullets pinged off of their spot.

"Damn Humans!" Sondohwa said before firing his energy pistol, grazing a Marine and scoring hits along the stone floor. The two Marines took cover behind stone blocks and returned fire.

"Fire you damned fool!" Sondohwa snarled at Yahade'. Yahade', being a superior officer to Sondohwa growled at his statement before raising his captured Human assault rifle and firing off a short burst, causing the one guard to take cover.

The two Lakadors continued to fire back, one of the guards yelling as his arm took a bolt of dark energy and he fell over, grabbing at the wound. The other took immediate cover and fired blind shots at them before reloading.

"This is our chance…" Sondohwa said as he stood and charged at the reloading soldier. As the Human saw this, he panicked and dropped his clip, trying to reach for his side arm when Sondohwa pumped a round into the soldier's chest, the Human's armor melting at the point of impact and the Human yelling from the pain or the rush of the moment, Yahade' couldn't tell.

Sondohwa raised his pistol to finish them off when Yahade' put a hand on his shoulder to half get his attention and half stop an unnecessary massacre.

"Over there, we've got trouble!" Yahade' said as he motioned to a large group of Cheetahs and Moles running over, arrows flying at them and swords drawn for a fight.

"Onwards, no time to waste!" Yahade' said as he pushed Sondohwa towards the fighter and reluctantly the Lakador boarded along with Yahade'. Soon the aircraft flared its engines and flew into the air, its two passengers taking in a sigh of relief and hoping that they could get out of there safely.

As their aircraft flew, anti aircraft batteries opened up. Bullets and missiles streaked towards the aircraft and the alarms blared inside the cockpit.

"Oh no! They've got us!" Sondohwa snarled as he continued to fly, the enemy weapons drawing near. Yahade' shut his eyes, hoping to avert the oncoming enemy weapons and focused on hope and trying to drain out fear.

A loud BANG caused him to open his eyes. They were still alive? How?

"We dead?" He asked.

"No… something caused those missiles to explode… we are safe… for now…" Sondohwa said with a grunt.

As they flew, they didn't notice that a black shield covered them, the missiles having hit that and not the fighter itself.

March 11, 2204  
0952 Hours  
Marine Drop Ships Inbound to Target Alpha 223- Mandobar City

It had been several days since the initial landings, Marine forces had been spread thin across the 'Realms', trying to isolate regions of possible threats. The main force had been sent through the mountain pass to the fields of Mandobar while others were sent on recon missions, some looking for the missing Charlie and Kilo Companies of the 72nd but coming up with nothing.

Was just another recon mission… at least to the Marines and Army Infantry of Theta Company. They were dispatched to the ruins of a city known as 'Mandobar' to the Dragons and check out reports of possible Lakador activity. To Private Jonathan Lorain, this was his 3rd recon mission that week.

"All right, this is just another recon mission, should be pretty clear but recon Raptors spotted enemy armor around the city and we're being sent to check it out!" A Sergeant in the troop bay said as the other Marines remained vigilant and waiting for the drop ships to land.

The drop ships sailed over the lush foliage of the valley, the ruins of what might have been a proud city coming into view. The shattered stone and wooden city passed under them as the two drop ships put down in a courtyard, a large tower partially collapsed into the area.

"Go, go, go, pile out!" The Marine Sergeant said and the soldiers disembarked the aircraft and formed themselves as the two aircraft flared their engines and flew up into the air, going off into the distance.

"This is Echo 3-3-7 we'll stay on station for extraction, over."

"Copy Echo, we'll be through this sector in 30 minutes, approx!" The Sergeant replied.

Lorain checked that his weapon was fully loaded and ensured the sighting was accurate as the other soldiers kept a vigilant look, smoke be scattered around the area as well from the departing aircraft.

"Alright, let's go!" As the Sergeant said this, the two squads mobilized and started moving, the two teams of 5 grouping together and walking towards a walkway scattered between two large buildings that had been pulverized from something.

"Jeez, wonder what destroyed this place, huh?" One of the Marines said as they walked.

"Probably from that Dark Master that the dragons seem to be so fearful of. Seems to be a lot of history here…" The Marine Private was right. The city they were passing through seemed to hold a lot of history. Shattered pottery, bones and pieces of armor lay in the rubble, suggesting this once sprawling city was a victim of a Military disaster on a large scale.

Lorain wondered if this was the fate of Sirus… the Colony had been lost to the Lakadors… who knew when they'd retake it if at all.

More dust blew through the city and there were many plants and vegetation growing through the cracks in the buildings and all over them. This city had been abandoned for more then 100 years, possibly 200. It definitely looked that way. The place was a total wreck.

"1st squad, let's check out the view from that tower, the others, scout out the base and form a fire squad." The Sergeant instructed.

Lorain looked over to Webster, his buddy, who was in 2nd squad. Lorain, being in 1st was going with the others to the tower while Webster stayed behind to form the fire squad at the base. The tower in question was a large stone tower that rose from the ruins of the city and had plants and vegetation hanging over the sides and growling along its length. It had a perfect view over the ruins.

2nd stayed at the base while 1st started moving up into the tower's entrance hall, the room looking like it had once been a lavish palatial suite, now reduced to rubble.

On the far side of the entrance there was a flight of stairs leading up, the soldiers maneuvered to it and started their climb up the steps. They climbed flights of stairs and had to stumble over broken sections. By the time the sunlight from the missing roof shined upon then, Lorain's hands and feet were exhausted from the climb.

The squad finally climbed over the fallen rocks that had once been the roof and stumbled onto the balcony overlooking much of the ruins.

The city that the Dragons referred to as Mandobar was large, even larger then Warfang. Much of it was split into two districts, the lower and higher. They were in the lower but were moving to a courtyard in the higher for extraction. The passage into the higher was easily visible, sets of large staircases that lead to the main streets and highways leading to the cities center- and a large crumbling building Lorain took to be the Palace or Governing building.

Lorain could even see the landscape, the fertile plains to the West and in between them, an enormous sinkhole with what looked like a city floating above in the clouds. To the south was the mountain range and the Temple and volcano beyond.

"Don't see any Lakador activity, let's move out, we're heading to the extraction point." As they started back, Lorain caught a glimpse of the two Nighthawks they came in with circling over the city and making a pass over the forests. Everything seemed so calm…

Something else caught his eyesight however… it was an aircraft… a Lakador aircraft! And it was approaching fast!

1032 Hours  
Ruins of Mandobar

Yahade' and Sondohwa were in the AGIS fighter, streaking towards a large city of ruins.

"Why aren't we heading back to the ship?!" Yahade' demanded.

"The ship is in a tight spot… was overtaken by those creatures… "

"But I thought we were pulling the ship from the surface!"

"They still got into its inner workings and caused it to slam into the bay. We've salvaged most of our equipment and arms but the ship is sinking into the waters. Supreme Commander Huvunes wants to capture these ruins to use as our new Command Post. After that we are going to capture that Human ship and use it to escape this infernal world. Huvunes says that whatever was here is now not important and we need to return to Imperial controlled space. For that we need a working vessel…"

"Damn it…"

"We have to make haste, to ensure our path out of here… Orantaus wants you to head the 223rd Imperial Regiment into battle against a small recon force of Humans in the ruins of Mandobar. The remnance of the forces are moving up the pass and will move in shortly to take the ruins."

"Get us there as quickly as possible then!" Yahade' said to Sondohwa. The fellow Lakador complied with flaring the fighter's engines as it flew towards the city. Yahade' could see the tanks and other vehicles moving into the city from a northern approach. Yahade' caught sight of a Human drop ship in the distance, flying over the forest. The drop ship was sure to have spotted them.

"Let's move with haste, the Humans are near…" Sondohwa said.

Sondohwa flew the fighter and landed the AGIS on a rooftop on a street, a large tower in the distance, just down a few streets from them. They disembarked and walked down into the shattered roof of the building, walking into the ground level and onto the street where a few Lakadors were already waiting, a tank going down the road nearby.

"Field Commander…" One of the other Lakadors bowed before Yahade' and presented him with a pulse rifle. Yahade' accepted it and nodded as he lead the soldiers down the road to follow the tank.

They were going to clear this city of anything that might oppose them.

1042 Hours  
Ruins of Mandobar- Alpha Sector

"The target is down from us a few hundred meters… keep going!" The Sergeant said to the Marines as they dashed down the walkway and through the shattered remains of the city.

Lorain checked his surroundings, paying careful attention to the rubble beyond for any hostile targets. Suddenly the Sergeant held up his hand, the signal to stop. They ducked down behind a fallen pillar and that's when Lorain saw them.

A strange Orc stood in a nearby walkway, hissing something as it picked up a stone and looked it over, smelling it and tossing it away, taking wiffs from the air.

This Orc was very different from the ones they had fought. It had special dark armor covering it and looked more dangerous and more refined, having a little bit different form of anatomy to it then the previous ones they had seen. Bringing up the rear there was an icon clad soldier, armor decking it out. The creature resembled the Orc but was more built then tall and looked more like an infantrymen then what the Orc was, which seemed to attack from a distance with arrows or energy blasts.

Though some had carried swords before, not something like these new soldiers. The Marines cautiously watched them as they roamed around for a bit before they wandered off to another walkway, the Sergeant ushering them on once more and Lorain looking over to the walkway they had gone to find that it lead nowhere… the path the creatures had taken was a dead end.

They kept going until they reached a collapsed building and climbed it to see a number of Lakadors engaging a group of Orcs, the Orcs smashing through them and a few soldiers in pure black armor- those drones- making short work of the Lakadors there.

"Looks like they're getting their ass kicked…" A Soldier said as they watched.

"No time to waste, we've got to get to the extraction point and report these Lakador patrols. We're out of radio contact…"

The Marines at once got up to go towards the extraction zone, them nearing the stairs leading to the upper courtyard. As they arrived at the stairs they caught sight of dead Lakadors lying everywhere, killed by energy blasts or stab wounds.

"C'mon, we're not that far!"

As they climbed they found the path to their EZ was blocked by fallen debris. Undeterred, they walked down a secondary path through a few broken buildings until they reached another courtyard where more pilled rubble lay, but was passable. They walked over to climb when an Orc spotted them and roared, Grublins, Orcs and a Drone or two popping from the ground or otherwise teleporting in to do battle with them.

"Crap!" One of the Marines said as the charged them.

The air was immediately filled with bullets, M74D fire cutting down a few Orcs immediately while a few Grublins got passed and leapt onto the Human soldiers, trying to rip their armor off.

Lorain saw a Marine by him get swept off his feet as one such Grublin grabbed him and Lorain grabbed his rifle and smacked the creature off like he was holding a bat before firing a short burst into the creature and killing it.

One of those large soldiers swung at him and Lorain fell to the ground as he tried to dodge, another Marine getting a shot and firing a shotgun blast, blowing the armor off and two others firing Submachine Guns into its back.

Two Marines were stabbed through the stomach and tossed aside as the fighting raged, more and more coming and the two Drones firing blasts of dark energy and blowing a Marine into a wall.

"Covering fire!" The Sergeant yelled but was hit by a blast of energy and fell silent to the ground.

Suddenly a hail of gunfire, arrows and other weapons hit the oncoming attackers and sent them into the ground or otherwise tumbling lifeless to the ground. Lorain and the others looked up to see a full squad of Marines standing above on the fallen rubble, dragons and other species with them. It was Charlie Company.

1058 Hours  
Rally Point Great Conjuncture, Lakador Armed Forces

Yahade' lead the soldiers through, the Lakadors firing at any of the Orcs and Grublins that got in their way.

"Commander, there is word of a nearby Dragon Settlement, shall we attack it?"

"No need. We will drive them out with our presence… no need to massacre them…" Yahade' was gambling. He hoped that the dragons or other native species would abandon these ruins if the Lakadors moved in with a massive army but the bulk of their forces were still to the North and South of this ancient city.

If not… well he didn't look forward to the 'if not'. But… some things in life were unavoidable…

They moved towards their own rally point nearby, hearing gunfire in the distance and Yahade' knew Human forces were in the area.

"Commander, there are reports of a large dragon creature approaching from the West! The Dragon's blown through our recon flank and is nearing the city!"

"Let us hurry then, we need to reach the rally point if we wish to muster enough forces to face this foe!" Yahade' said in response.

They dashed down the pathway through and quickly found a group of creatures- the Orcs and Grublins- blocking their way to the main rally point.

They took cover behind stones and opened fire, dark energy and energized crystals flying at the creatures and they let out a hiss of pain before falling over dead.

"Let us move onward!" A Lakador exclaimed and once more they passed the fallen creatures and moved to the gathering Lakador force just ahead.

1124 Hours  
Unknown Dragon Settlement

"Thought I'd never see another Human…" One of the Marines in the other group said as he shouldered his rifle and the rifle clanged as it hit against the sword also strapped to the soldier's side.

The Marine from Theta held out his hand.

"Lance Corporal Jacob Simmons." He said.

"1st Sergeant Michal Reyes." The Soldier across from him said, obviously the commander of the Marines from Charlie.

"The hell you guys been, Dyke's been combing the surrounding area for you guys." One of the Marines next to Lorain asked.

"We hit the ground around here in our escape pods and were stuck here after radio contact was lost. We couldn't reach anyone so we stayed here and met up with the locals who gave us food and water. In return we aided the defense of their village."

"How many of you are left?"

"We've got about 15 Soldiers left, with maybe only half with a rifle with ammo. Everyone else is using swords or other weapons they can get their hands on."

"You're Company had 104 Soldiers in it!"

"It's been a long week or so… plus most of the Company is still missing…"

"Well we need to radio for an evac… we'll ask for more to get you airlifted out of here too."

"Well… we'd love to… but we promised to protect the village."

Lorain and the other Marines from Theta looked around.

The Settlement was crawling with Dragons and many other various species. To be honest only a few Dragons resided in the settlement. Many were small creatures that looked almost incapable of protecting themselves from the Orcs or Grublins. The Dragons that were there looked young, maybe a few adults there but many looked in their young or teenage years.

The settlement was a group of makeshift huts built out of the surrounding ruins, some buildings even repurposed for homes. The Marines there looked very battle fatigued and most of their armor and uniforms were tattered, cracked or torn. They had sure been through hell in the past few days.

"Well we need to report back to Dyke, the radios are choppy and the drop ships will swing around in a bit to pick us up." One of the Marines explained.

"These people have nowhere to go… we can't just ditch them…"

"Sergeant! Creatures approaching the main gates!" A small squirrel looking creature atop a tower exclaimed.

"Hostiles! Form defenses!" The Sergeant said and the Marines and a few warriors gathered their weapons to form a defense. The main gates were made of wood, stone and vines and was positioned just ahead of them. The Soldiers took up positions atop and prepared themselves.

"It's Lakadors sir!" As soon as Lorain heard this, he and the other Marines leapt to the ramparts and looked over the small wall, sure enough seeing Lakadors running down the road towards them.

"Open fire!" As the word came out, the Marines and Guards fired arrows, charged arrows and rifle fire at the oncoming Lakadors, hitting many and scattering the others as the small squad charged and went into several directions.

The remaining Lakadors broke off and fled away from the scene, the Guards howling triumphantly at the sight.

The young dragoness watched the Humans walk back off the ramparts that had been so hastily constructed and she sighed sadly as she leaned into her mate who sat beside her. They were so young, but were in love with each other. Ever since they were hatchlings they and their families had been on the run from the forces of the Dark Master until they finally came onto this ancient Dragon City of Mandobar and settled in. Their parents had long since vanished afterwards and they were stuck here with the others who's lives were so hammered by the Dark Armies. Even after Spyro, the legendary purple dragon who's actions still remained that of myth at the time had defeated the Dark Master and his armies, he rose again- more powerful then before.

Now they had suffered almost daily attacks from armies of foes that sniffed out their tiny settlement. It wasn't long after the armies returned that these new creatures- the Humans arrived. Most were beaten and in need of medical help or food. The Dragons and other creatures in the small settlement agreed to take them in and feed them, if they provided aid in the form of helping to defend from the forces that so threatened them.

It had been two weeks now and the attacks had gotten really bad. They had lost a lot of their numbers to attackers and soon there would be little hope for their settlement. They would most south to Warfang… but the trek was long and dangerous. That, and the fact that Warfang wasn't in any better condition.

The young blue dragoness sat down and looked at her mate. The red dragon sat beside her. His name was Skyline. She giggled of all the times she and he had had moments together and she knew he was thinking the same thing. They had bee together… for a long time now. Ever since their original families vanished.

Her own name was Ingrid. She sat in the grass as her wavy blond hair was tossed about by the wind and her scales felt the cracked rock beneath. She hadn't heard much about this city's past, but she knew that it used to be a major city- bigger then Warfang. Though that was during the time of the Dark Master. The city was probably destroyed during his reign, though by what exactly, she didn't know.

She watched the Humans for some time before she heard her mate speak up.

"So… more Humans I guess… huh?" He said, chuckling a bit. He had always been a bit… 'uneasy' around them. Maybe it was because they were a new species to him. She didn't know why, he just always seemed a bit unsure and uneasy around the Human combatants. She didn't have a problem with them. However she did wonder just who they were and where they came from, they had never made that clear to them in their stay with them.

"Yeah… I guess so…" She giggled slightly, her voice carrying a French accent as she spoke.

She sighed as she watched them leave the ramparts and get replaced by the usual mole and dragon guards. The few Humans left were low on 'ammo' as they called it and were going to be of little use apparently. She frowned. Life had been a bit easier since they arrived, she just hoped they could someday reach Warfang to the south and things would be better for them… she hoped.

"We need to move out; reach the extraction zone." A Marine said as he tapped Lorain's shoulder.

"Right, maybe we can get Dyke to fix you guys up with a few rides." Lorain said.

"I already said we can't leave these guys. They want to head south to 'Warfang'. But so far this city has proved so hostile we can't even leave without falling under attack by those damned Orcs or Grublins. They're everywhere and we're low on ammo."

"I understand but maybe we can do an airlift and get all these guys to Warfang. That's where we are headed anyway."

The Marine 1st Sergeant from Charlie rubbed his chin.

"Yeah alright. I'll speak with their leader, but we have to move fast to get them all out."

The Marines smiled as they heard this, knowing they'd get to leave this little patch of hell as some of them referred to it. It wasn't so much the locals making it hard, it was the local hostiles that continuously pounded them day in and day out.

Half an hour later the Marine 1st Sergeant returned.

"He says they'll do it, but he still doesn't understand how we are going to do it. The dragons can fly but everyone else is being moved on the drop ships. However we have to get these guys to a good spot to get them all extracted at once and not leave stragglers."

"How about the LZ we were going to in the first place? It's not far from here and it's a large enough courtyard to fit several Nighthawks at once!" A Marine from the recon group exclaimed.

"Right, everyone is already packing their gear, we'll move out in an hour or so. I sure hope you're right…"

"Let's hope. We need to scout it first, we'll radio with the clear, recon group, on me! We're going back to the LZ to clear it!" The Corporal from the recon group said. Lorain shot a glance to Webster who shrugged and they hefted their gear as they dashed out of the secure settlement and back into the destroyed city streets of Mandobar.

From the rooftops, Yahade' watched the Humans leave the settlement. He had been separated from Sondohwa during the brief encounter with the Humans and he sighed as he heard grumbling from his remaining men. He knew he'd have to intersect those humans and that large courtyard ahead of them was the best place to do it. With a few hand motions he ushered his remaining Lakadors down into the streets and towards the courtyard beyond.

However when they reached that courtyard they saw that Grublins had already occupied it and dashed at them.

"Destroy that filth! Open fire!" Yahade' ordered. The soldiers wasted no time in doing so.

The Marine recon group moved through the rubble, having spent the better part of half an hour doing just that. Suddenly they saw a large group of Grublins and Orcs attacking a group of Lakadors in the courtyard they were heading to.

"Shit, we've got company!" One of the Soldiers said.

"We've got to punch through, keep going!" Reyes ordered as he slapped his back against a rock as energy bolts began to fly over their heads. The others ran and ducked behind fallen debris as more energy bolts flew over, Lorain doing the same as he lifted his head to return fire, loud TATs accompanied by falling shell casings.

The Marines continued to open fire as the Grublins drew near. Lorain caught a sight of Lakadors making their way to cover across from them and he motioned over to another Marine to follow him as he went to flank the Lakadors taking cover next to them. The Marine in question took a bolt to the chest and fell over dead and Lorain forced himself to roll behind a fallen rock and raised his rifle to be greeted by a Lakador doing the same to him.

The two stared at each other, rifles raised and ready to fire at each other. They stayed in that stance, having each other dead to rights but nobody taking the shot. They stared into each other's eyes, Lorain staring into the strange reptilian eyes of the Lakador.

Without warning, a Grublin attacked them both, laughing a chill laugh and swinging an axe at them. Lorain and the Lakador ignored the fact that they were both enemies and Lorain hit the creature with the butt of his weapon, knocking it into the ground, the Lakador growling and finishing it off with a burst from his weapon.

As the creature writhed on the ground, they looked at each other once more, staring into their eyes again. The realization came to mind and they both turned their weapons to the Grublins, firing at them instead of each other.

The other Lakadors and Marines began to ignore each other in turn and started to fully focus on the Grublins, cutting them down under a hail of gunfire and energy fire.

As the courtyard cleared, the soldiers turned their attention towards each other.

Lorain and the Lakador spotted each other once more and looked at each other.

"Truce?" Lorain asked.

"At least until we clear these creatures, truce." The Lakador responded in perfect English.

Lorain smirked. He didn't know what to be more surprised by. A Lakador accepting peace, or one that could speak perfect English.

"Let us clear this courtyard of vermin!" The Lakador proclaimed and the others roared in approval. The other Marines looked at each other and shrugged.

More came out of their hiding places and the Marines and Lakadors took position and opened fire.

"These filth shall not last!" Another Lakador said.

"Stay down you son of a bitch!" A Marine said. The two looked at each other as if the other was crazy, but continued to fire their weapons.

"Filthy Humans… I can't believe you'd call a truce to them…" Sondohwa said as he approached Yahade'. Yahade' huffed and continued firing. Sondohwa snarled and turned, a large Orc standing before him and swinging a sword. Sondohwa roared and brought his weapon to bear, the weapon being knocked out of his hands and he snarling up to the beast as the sword was swung at him again.

Before the sword made contact however, the Orc cried out in pain and fell over, dead. Behind him stood Lorain, pointing his rifle at the back of the creature's head. Sondohwa snarled at him and picked up his weapon.

"Filth…" He snarled. Lorain huffed and went on to combat the Grublins again.

As the last of the Grublins fell, the area grew calm once more. The sky had turned a dark shade of black as thunder cracked in the distance. The Lakadors and Marines looked at each other. The truce should have been over. The enemy defeated. However, nobody shot at the other. They just stood there, looking at each other, waiting for the other to act first.

Before anyone did act however, the ground began to shake and the sky churned with black clouds.

"Oh I don't like the looks of this…" Webster said as he peered at the clouds.

"What the hell's going on…?" Another asked. Lorain stared at the sky, as did the others as a laugh split the air. The evil laugh lasted for a minute, shaking several of the Marines and Lakadors to their cores.

"It has begun…" A deep and evil voice said.

As he said this, the structure in the center of the city split open, the main building collapsing into a crevice that had opened up. A beam of purple light fired out of the ground and into the clouds, punching straight through and causing a shockwave that knocked everyone to their feet.

"What the hell is going on?!" A Marine exclaimed as he got up. The light shot upwards sky high, illuminating the scene and several screeches bellowing through the area were heard. They all caught sight of a silhouette. It was that of a dragon. It was the Dark Master. The dragon flew onwards towards the west as the light shot upwards.  
"What in the world is happening?!" A Lakador proclaimed.

"It is the end of existence!" Another said.

"Steel yourselves! Whatever this may be it cannot stop us!" Yahade' said to his men. Lorain looked up at the beam with awe. What the hell was it?

"It has truly begun…" A new voice said. Everyone turned to see a figure with hair flowing from a ponytail and silver armor that shined in the purple light. His sword sat in a sheath by his side as it swayed in the wind erupting from the beam of evil. The others stared at him in awe until one soldier had the courage to speak.

"Who the hell are you…?" The Marine Corporal said.

"I'm a friend, here to help. You may call me Blazer."

They all looked at him with confusion.

"Come, follow me." He instructed.

End of Chapter 25


	26. The Road South

Chapter 26: The Road South  
Dragon Realms, Uncharted System  
March 11, 2204  
1324 Hours  
Rally Point

The Marines retreated along the path, ushered on by the mysterious figure. The loud winds slapped against the soldiers as they dashed towards their objective, the beam of purple spiking out of the ground and into the dark skies.

"So what's going on? What is that thing?" A Marine asked.

"It is one of the keys, the Dark Master has unlocked one of the gates to the Final Solution. He has found their locations with his Gems and now seeks to unlock each one of them! If he does, the weapon will finally surface and he can use it…" Blaze said, stopping as he did so and using his sword to smash a wall to ribbons.

"So what're we to do about it?" Lorain asked, checking for anything trialing the group as they moved back to the village.

"We must warn the others, they must put a stop to him."

"How'd you know where we were, where'd you come from?" Another asked.

"My name is Blaze, I am an ancient Warrior. I was called upon by the villagers, they thought you could use some help… they were right…"

"Yeah… help…" A Marine muttered.

"Can we stop that thing?"

"I'm afraid not, the beam will continue to output energy until the gates are all unlocked or the main switch is pulled. I cannot say where it is, even that information is lost. We must make it back to the village and get the others out of this area before it is completely overrun." Blaze dashed through the debris from the wall and the others followed suit.

Lorain stepped to follow but stopped mid step and turned to Yahade' and the other Lakadors who were bringing up the rear.

"You guys can follow or go to your Commanders. As much as I don't like it, there're two wars going on, we've got this one to fight." Lorain said in an almost grunt-like manner before following the rest of the platoon.

"What are we to do Commander?" A Lakador asked.

"There are bigger things at work here, and our petty war can wait. Whoever wishes to go back to the main Battalion can, I think that our help would be greatly needed in this task. Follow if you will, I don't expect many of you to do so." Yahade' turned to leave with the Marines and a few Lakadors turned to leave but most of the group remained.

As Yahade' expected, Sondohwa left with a few others back to the main Lakador encampment. He sighed before walking off. He knew that he had a duty to win this war, but at this point in time, what cost was it to him to kill all Humans on sight? This was something more important, a greater crisis. This was of a higher priority then everything else. He'd be damned before he let others tell him otherwise.

They dashed through the rubble and met up with the Marines on the far side.

"This is the path." Blaze said silently as he looked at a large stone door embedded into a cliff face within the city.

"What path?" Lorain asked.

"This leads out of the city, to the fertile plains of Mandobara, and towards the southern mountain range. From there it is a straight path to Warfang."

"That's perfect… we can funnel the survivors out through here!"

"Exactly. Have your men get them here as soon as you can. I will hold this spot." Blaze said as he stood near the door.

"Alright, let's go get our villagers, Jacobs, Harrison , stay with Blaze and cover the door! We'll be back soon!" Lorain said. Seeing as how the Sergeant in their platoon had been killed, it looked like Lorain had to assume command now…

"We will aid the defense. I doubt they will let Lakadors near the village." Yahade' said.

"Right. Try not to get shot." Lorain said with a playful smirk as he and the others dashed off towards the village.

They arrived back at the village, everyone already funneling out of the village with their belongings. Most only had enough stuff to fill a bag per villager. The small forest creatures didn't look like they'd be able to make it far without an escort. This wasn't going to be easy…

"What the hell did you guys do!" Sergeant Reyes said as he leapt down from his watch tower, referring to the beam of purple light dominating the skyline.

"Wasn't our fault! This place has really gone to hell, we need to get everyone out ASAP!"

"So what's the word on the LZ then?"

"We found a better way out of the city for the villagers, we need to get everyone towards this new passageway."

The blue dragoness from before walked up, Ingrid.

"So did our friend help you?"

"Oh, Blaze? Yeah, how'd you get him to help us?"

"It wasn't that hard… was his armor that summoned him back… one of the villagers had it in deep storage and the armor started to glow. The rest just… happened."

Lorain could only frown at the statement, though it was nothing new to him. This whole place was nuts. Glowing armor? Just another box to check on his list. Oh well.

"Come on, we've got to get these villagers out of here." Lorain said

"Right, let's move 'em out!" Reyes ordered. The Marines and other warriors with them helped the villagers to move down the broken road and towards the door.

"Sir, contacts!" A Marine said. Reyes dashed towards the front and saw the contacts in question. Several Orcs and Grublins, as well as other unnamed foes walked in an eerie fashion towards the purple beam. They walked slowly through the city streets, as if in a daze.

"Hold your fire, they haven't seen us." Reyes said.

"What're they doing…?" Another Marine asked.

"Don't know, don't care. We got stuff to do, come on!" With that, the Soldiers ushered the group into a few alleyways to bypass the streets filled with hostiles. Slowly but surely they worked their way back to the stone doorway.

"Look more of the beasts!" A Warrior proclaimed.

"Looks like we got back in time for the party!" A Marine said as they saw several grublins dashing towards the door, the Marines and Blaze already engaging them. The Marines fired bursts from their Assault Rifles while Blaze unsheathed his sword and slashed it once, a huge shockwave enveloping the blade and spiking out towards the Grublins. The creatures were swallowed whole by the wave and incinerated upon contact.

"Holy shit, he kicked their ass!"

"Can it, let's go!" They continued to run towards the door and came to a halt.

"We must make haste, the passageway is open!" Blaze said as he opened the stone and the doors slid open.

"Everyone through, let's go!" Heyes said. He turned to Lorain and his squad.

"What about you guys?"

"We'll get out on an evac bird, the rest of you guys gatta get these guys to safety!" It was then the Marines there noticed the Lakadors firing from a small fallen porch above.

"What the hell, Lakadors?"

"Don't shoot, they're with us!" Lorain said.

"Yes, we must hurry!" Blaze said once more.

The villagers dashed into the passageway as quickly as they could, the Marines firing at Grublins as they rushed them. Several other Orcs and other unnamed foes charged the group.

A Marine yelled as an arrow sliced into his arm, the soldier falling in pain.

"Man down!" Another yelled.

"Keep up the fire!"

"Cover me!"

"Fire in the hole!" A Marine chunked a fragmentation grenade into the midst of rushing enemies, the explosive device shredding them to pieces.

"Alright, you guys go, we'll find another way!"

"Soldier." Blaze stated, getting Lorain 's attention.

"Yes?"

"Once you regroup with your forces, alert the purple dragon to the events here. Tell him that his target lies to the west, you must take that key. Tell him that the Dark Master moves his forces, just like before."

"Alright!" Lorain said as the winds began to pick up from the beam spitting out from the center of the city.

Blaze entered the passageway and the door sealed behind them.

Echo 3-3-7 come in! Do you read me?"

"Finally, what the hell's going on down there, energy is off the charts!"

"Later, can you still land at the LZ?"

"Yeah, LZ looks secure, we're inbound."

"Right, we're on our way!"

"You guys better hurry up, we're low on fuel, if you don't get there in 3 minutes, we'll have to leave without you."

"Don't worry, we'll be there! Come on guys, let's move it out! We've got 3 minutes!" Lorain yelled. The Marines stood up and dashed from where they were.

They dashed over the rubble and fallen pillars, trying to get there as fast as they could. They arrived where the road became a balcony like overhang tier that ran parallel to a courtyard. In the courtyard were hundreds of hostiles.

"What the…" The grublins and Orcs in the courtyard looked different then the ones they had been picking off all day. These looked stronger, tougher, and more sinister. Dark energy pulsed from their bodies, an evil red glow in their eye.

At the end of the courtyard, there was a stairway leading to their level. On those stairs a large figure presided over the large group of enemies. It spoke in a tongue none of the Marines knew. It seemed to be giving out orders and chanting something.

"I've got a bad feeling about this…"

"Hey, I've got a question… if those Lakadors were here, weren't there going to be more? Where are they?" Webster asked.

"Good question…"

"Well there's some of them right there…" Lorain pointed to a pile of dead Lakador soldiers thrown together near the edge of the courtyard.

"Damn…"

"Guys, we're running out of time, let's go!" Lorain said as he remembered, ushering the men to keep moving.

Suddenly a shriek was let lose from the group and they turned as they ran to see that one of the enemy soldiers had spotted them. The large figure that seemed to be commanding them let out a sharp hiss and pointed at the Marines as they ran.

"This won't end good!"

"Keep going to the LZ!"

"Don't have to tell me twice!"

"Recon, this is Echo, you have 90 seconds to bingo fuel, over."

"I know, we're on our way!"

Several hundred creatures poured onto the pathway behind them, dashing at speeds Lorain didn't think were physically possible.

"Keep going!" Lorain yelled as he backpedaled, firing his rifle at the same time. The bullets struck one of the creatures and caused it to stumble but kept going at him. Another burst sank into the creature's head and caused it to flip end over end from its own momentum before skidding to a halt on the ground.

This didn't halt the others as they continued forward, the other Marines firing rounds as well.

60 seconds.

They entered the courtyard, but they still had to descend to the level where the Nighthawk would land, which meant hopping down stairs and small entryways to get down.

The creatures caught up with them, one soldier catching a sword strike to the chest as the massive version of the Orc cut through them. The soldier yelled in pain and tumbled down, another Marine carrying him off while Webster brought up a shotgun and let the creature have 2 shots of 8 gauge buckshot into its chest. The creature pivoted and flew back from the impacts, its armor and chest blown open.

"Let's go!" Lorain yelled again, firing a burst before leaping down a flight of stairs to avoid being overtaken himself.

As Lorain turned, he saw the Nighthawk sitting in the center of the courtyard, its engines flaring and a few of the Marines in his squad already boarding.

"Hurry!"

30 seconds.

Lorain rolled down another flight and behind what used to be a statue as arrows and bursts of dark energy conjured by the menacing creatures smashed into the ground nearby. He armed a fragmentation grenade and lobbed it over the statue before he dashed for the railing and rolled over, landing on the bottom level. He landed and went into a mad dash just as the grenade detonated, dirt and rock falling onto him as the explosion blew two Grublins and a handful of Orcs into ribbons.

10 seconds.

Lorain leapt towards the Nighthawk's troop bay, the door gunner firing his machine gun at the hostiles as the Army GI drew closer to the aircraft.

"Hurry!"

5.

Lorain stumbled but continued to run.

4.

He threw his rucksack into the troop bay from his spot.

3.

An arrow slammed into the hull, as did another burst of energy.

2.

The Nighthawk's engines flared once more for take off.

1.

Lorain leapt into the troop bay and the others caught him before he slid out the opposite door and dragged him to the safety of the protective hull.

"All right, we're out of here." The Nighthawk flared its engines a second time, the force kicking the aircraft off the ground and into the air, clouds of dirt and debris being kicked up as the drop ship sailed upwards into the black angry sky, several Grublins, Drones and Orcs in the courtyard hissing and roaring at them.

"Nice run; that was close." Webster said.

"No shit…" Lorain said, closing his eyes and falling asleep from exhaustion.

1645 Hours  
Outskirts of Mandobar

1st Sergeant Heyes walked through the tunnels, leading his rag tag company of Charlie. They were escorting the battle weary villagers of about 100 or so smaller and young dragonlings, bi-pedal squirrel, otter and mole creatures. Most were too small to put up a fight and would never reach 'Warfang' by themselves.

They needed some help. Plus, the Marines from that recon group said there was a Marine CP in Warfang. Plus the Typhus was sitting there so that was the place to go for him and his men.

They walked through the tunnels for a long time until they finally reached the end where light poured into the tunnel. They emerged on a ledge overlooking a gulley. Trees and timber growth engulfed the local area and beyond the gulley lied a mountain range.

The mountains were tall, but looked passable.

"On the opposite side of those mountains lies the fertile plains of the Dragon. To the south lies Warfang. Though these travelers might not be able to make the full journey alone. There may be alternatives." Blaze said.

"Alternatives? What do you mean?"

There was no response. Blaze was gone.

"The hell did he go?" Heyes asked as he looked around. The other Marines and Lakadors looked as well but there was no sign of him. They were on their own now.

Heyes sighed.

"Alright people, looks like we need to get over these mountains. Let's get moving…" Heyes said as he motioned for them to start moving. They all followed as they walked into the small gulley and began to climb to the adjacent ledge, continuing on towards the where the slopes began to rise, the foot of the first mountain.

They began the grueling climb up the mountain, which luckily had a small forest path that lead upwards. The temperature had began to drop slightly, even though it should have been Summer time here, or, at least, it should have been. The beam of purple energy still poured its light into the sky, creating the clouds and probably altering the weather. Though Heyes had a feeling the beam wasn't behind it entirely.

They continued moving through the forest until they reached a clearing where what sunlight remained in the sky beamed through the trees and sat itself on the blades of grass and foliage in the clearage. The clearing was large enough to accommodate them with their small group of 100 or so and 50 Marines.

Heyes turned to one of the smaller warriors by his side, Hymous, was his name if he remembered correctly. The warrior was a squirrel, with blue fur, a small cape, leather armor and a golden helmet that only covered part of his head and not the fur that came directly out of the top. The only real connection between him and the nut munchers on Earth was his long bushy tail, ears, and teeth. That and the fact that he resembled one in minute portions.

"Tell them this'll be a good spot to rest Hymous." He said.

"Right, alright everyone! Let us rest in this clearing!" He said and everyone set their belongings down and began to set themselves down. The Lakadors in the group stood near a rock on the edge. Heyes didn't really know what to make of them, other then they just made him nervous. He had to know why they were helping them. Wasn't everyday one of your enemies decided to help you.

Sighing, Heyes stood up and walked over to the one he presumed to be the leader, for every one of the Lakadors seemed to revere him with dignity or honor.

He wasn't sure on what to say exactly, but they noticed him and the Lakador turned around to see him. Heyes opened his mouth to talk but the Lakador raised its hand to stop him.

"You are going to ask why we are helping you, yes?" He asked.

"Er… yes…"

"It's simple really."

"How so?"

"Well, most of us in this group, including me, find that this war makes absolutely no sense."

"Sense?"

"Our leadership have us blast another intelligent race of creatures under the pretext that they don't think you'd be a peaceful race, and that you are dangerous."

"Really now? I was under the impression we just did something to anger you guys, or just the whole stereotypical alien invasion…"

The Lakador looked at him curiously.

\"Nevermind.\"

"We find that these attacks, although ordered by our superiors, is useless to uphold in the face of this obviously higher threat."

"Right… seems this place is teeming with dangers…"

"Which is why we think its best to help you Humans get rid of it rather then fight over something like this. In other words, we'd rather fight and die for a cause we'd be able to justify."

"I would to. Seems this is something bigger then ourselves."

"Seems like it." They turned to look at the purple beam spitting out of the ruins and into the angry storm of clouds overhead.

They all sat down and rested, drinking the water available from the river and the pond nearby. The squirrels and moles climbed the trees to get berries and fresh fruit while the other dragons went out to hunt for meat. As Heyes sat on a log, cleaning his rifle, he felt something in the air. It was like a spike of cold that ran down his spine.

He looked up and saw the others going about their business. He flexed his hands a bit, feeling the air more. Ever since they had left Mandobar, the temperature had been slightly falling. Now, it felt like it spiked downwards. It was like an ominous feeling hung in the air. He just felt something… something coming…

"Hymous! I think its time to move." He said as he stood up and placed his rifle over his shoulder.

"Are you sure? We've only just began to rest…" He asked as he walked up, spear in hand.

"There's something here… I don't like it…" Heyes said as he looked around more.

"I feel something too. We should move with great haste." As Hymous turned to get the others ready, Heyes looked down into the forest and for a second, he thought he could see two beady eyes, watching him. He looked at it for a while before the eyes faded and was finally brought too.

"Alright, we are moving again! Everyone get ready to move!" Hymous said to the others, the creatures awakening from their naps or from eating and getting up to leave.

"Sir, something wrong?" A Marine asked Heyes.

"Yeah… I'm fine… let's move."

They moved for a while, a few hours having passed since they first left Mandobar. The sky was getting darker and darker and it was cold to the point where some of the Marines were shivering. The smaller fur coated creatures had little discomfort to the cold, they had fur!

They finally reached a pass that would let them descend out of the mountain range, and soon they'd be able to see the entire peninsula beyond the mountains.

"Look, we can see the great dragon city!" A smaller creature called out. Heyes and the other stood up and walked to where they were, seeing what they saw. Far off in the distance, miles out, a city sat along the edge of the peninsula. It looked grand and majestic, sitting out along the water's edge. Above the high towers in the city was the UERNS Typhus. The Frigate sat above the city and Heyes knew that was the place to go.

However, it was what was in-between them and Warfang that scared Heyes. A large ocean of lava filled land and black smoldering rocks lied between them and the dragon city. The molten expanse looked to be several miles in diameter. The trip to Warfang also looked to be more then 10-20 miles. Maybe even more. This would be a tough trek. Then Heyes thought back to what Blaze had told him. "There may be alternatives…"

"Alternatives…" Heyes sighed and looked at the massive expanse. They had to find a way.

"Well let's start moving down these mountains. The better we get moving, the better." With that they started to move down the mountain, using the paths to get down faster then when they came up. A wind began to whip against them as they descended, the yellow light blazing from the star in the sky shining its final rays upon them. The visible sky was a yellow hue as the star broke through the thick cloud cover that was enveloping the land, adding a more ominous feeling to the already weary situation they were in.

As they went down, Heyes caught something out of the corner of his eye. He turned, but only bushes and trees caught his vision.

"Something the matter?" Hymous asked, seeing his head turn rapidly.

"No." Heyes simply said in return. The smaller warrior sighed a bit before continuing on. They had to keep moving, they only had a few hours of daylight left.

"Sir! I've got eyes on a contact!" One of his Marines said from the front of the group. Heyes ran over and got into a crouch position as their decline met a drop off. The area in front of them was a small gulley, with a little river running through it. A raptor creature with several markings on it was taking a sip of the water and lapped up at it.

"Hymous, do you know if this thing is hostile?"

"Not sure… we've never seen any of these before… a few of our older tribesmen have talked here and there about a few 'creatures' lurking in the wooded area beyond Mandobar, but we never saw anything…" Heyes thought for a moment. He wasn't willing to bet whether these things were hostile or not. They'd just have to bypass the creature altogether.

"We'll just have to pass him up then… I don't think it'll be a good idea to alert him…"

"Right…" Hymous said.

"Sir, more movement on the flank." Heyes turned to see the bushes rustle and a few low growls emenating from the brush.

"Hymous, get these people out of here!" Heyes said just as another one of the raptor creatures leapt from the brush and landed feet from Heyes.

"So these are the meaty flesh creatures they were talking about…" The creature said in a growl-like voice.

"Seems so master… they do look tasty like they said…"

"What the hell do you guys want…" Heyes said as he raised his rifle, his other men doing the same, Yahade' sprinting to join him and the others getting swords as their weapons lacked ammo.

"Seems you meat sacks have a high bounty on you… some will pay handsomely for you as slaves… or dinner… or just to get rid of you altogether…" The creature said with a grin.

"The hell with that!"

"Oh I don't think you have a choice in the matter… you see… my pack mates have been awfully hungry… meat has been… scarce. Looks like we found our new dinner. Come on boys! Enjoy!" With that, the raptors screeched and dashed at them.

"Oh shit!" A Marine said as he fired his rifle, as did several of the other soldiers. The bullets impacted the creatures and several Raptors fell face first in the dirt from the armor piercing rifle rounds. The warriors in the group, although small, leaped to action and grabbed onto the Raptors, inserting swords into their face and eyes. The Lakadors withdrew to a rock and fired on the Raptors from their cover, while the Marines fell back as well to form a semi-circle of sorts.

The Raptors managed to get through though, smashing into the Marines' line and breaking them apart. Heyes flew into the grass as a Raptor smashed into him, his M74D sliding away from him. The Marines left regrouped near the Lakadors as the Raptors threatened to break them up and eat them one by one. One unfortunate Marine was captured and yelled as he was dragged into the bushes by two Raptors.

The other Marines managed to stumble back into defensive positions but the Raptors came again.

Heyes felt a Raptor grab at his feet and grunted, pulling out his side arm and pumping several rounds of .45 ammunition into its head, causing it to roar and topple over. Soon the Raptors began to retreat into the forest, several of their corpses littering the ground.

"Let us make haste! The beasts will strike fast and again!" One of the Warriors called out.

"Let's go, if you can walk, run!" Heyes said while standing up and retrieving his assault rifle. 4 Marines were dead, 2 Lakadors, 6 Warriors and 3 more Marines were missing. This wasn't good. They had to move, now.

All of them moved fast down the hill, not turning back, the group of villagers just ahead in the forest. Heyes lost track of how long they had gone, but it was colder now. Before he or anyone else knew it, they had ran for at least 30 minutes. Looking out over the trees he saw they were close to the foot of the mountain.

The group finally slowed down to a halt and stopped at another clearing for a rest. Things went as normal as they had the last time. Everyone lied around resting and regaining their strength as the last rays of the day came over them. With night time nearly up them, Heyes decided it was time to call it a day. Wasn't long before everyone was asleep and the moon shined its own light upon them as the day left and night came. Nearly everyone was out before dark, and the campfire slowly died off in the center of the group, a cold wind washing over them once more.

March 12, 2204  
1123 Hours

Heyes cleaned his rifle and looked around. Most everyone was up by now, only a few stragglers remained asleep. They would have to move soon again, who knew who else was looking for them. Hymous had been a great help though, ever since they left he was the unofficial second in command. His other Marine Commander, Corporal Howards, was a little unfit for command at the moment. The soldier lacked any real leading experience and fumbled and jumped the gun when it came to giving out orders. He wouldn't put him as a squad commander, let alone trust him with leading a company.

The Lakadors, they had been a tremendous help to them. Their leader, Yahade', was a field commander. He guessed it was the Lakador equivalent of a Marine Captain. Yahade' and Heyes had struck a sort of 'mini-friendship' so to say. As much as two races that had only a day ago held weapons of war at each other could muster, that is. Heyes could tell that there was a bit of tension with the Lakadors since they were only feet from their former enemy. Same could be said with the Marines. Many were not happy at all being this close to 'the bastards'. It didn't matter to Heyes, was less people to shoot in his opinion.

Though his little talks with Yahade', they had given him insight to something rare, the enemy perspective of the war. Yahade' was a bit less enthusiastic about the war but Lakador customs had him in the 'Imperial Army' regardless of his own personal views. His high leadership skills and rudimentary combat and physical skills dictated that he became a Field Commander. Sounded like the Lakadors had some sort of 'Communist' government or something. Or just some Imperial government.

Really, it didn't matter, not at this moment. At least for now, his worry was how to reach Warfang in one piece. Only yesterday he had lost at least 7 Marines out of his 50 or so. At that rate, they'd never make it to Warfang in one piece.

They'd have to keep moving. After everyone had eaten at least something they were on the move again. The forest was cold and the sun somewhat shined on them, the black angry clouds over Mandobar still isolated over the region, not spreading anymore but that chill was still in the air.

They were near the bottom when Heyes could make out a river near the base. Would be perfect for a resting break but it was still a ways out. They continued down and Heyes could make out more and more of the river below. There appeared to be an unused fishing hut nearby, and the area was thick with forest except for a clearing near the river. For sure this'd be a perfect place, they could even fish for food!

Suddenly, a new sound demanded their attention. The sound of rotor blades spinning and an engine dominated the area and they looked up to see a UERMC Sparrowhawk flying overhead, two more following it and they put down on the opposite side of the river on the top of a ridge overlooking the area. This was perfect! They had to find a way to get their attention though.

"Sir, look, choppers!" A Marine said.

"I know! We need to get their attention…."

"Well the radio is all static."

"Anyone got any flares?"

"I've got one in my M203 sir." A PFC walked up with a Grenade launcher equipped to his M74D. The launcher had a flare grenade variant in it.

"How many?"

"Just one sir."

"We're going to have to make it count then."

"Sir, whatever you're going to do, do it fast, the choppers are going to leave soon!" Heyes looked and saw that the people who had left were gathering their things and returning to the choppers. They didn't have much time left.

"Fire your flare, right into the clearing!"

"Yes sir!" With that, the PFC aimed his rifle and fired. The flare spat from the launcher and sailed towards the center of the field and bloomed a red glow. Heyes saw the people at the drop ships spot the flare and point to it. They had seen it.

"We've got to move, let's go!"

The group charged down the hill and through the forest. They were nearing the bottom when trouble stirred.

"Sir! I think that flare got someone else's attention!"

As they entered the clearing on the far side of the river, Heyes realized what the soldier had said. A large creature came out of the trees, what the others had referred to as a troll. It roared in defiance and charged the landing helicopters, causing them to fly off into the sky to avoid the creature's might.

"Damn it! Hammer that thing!" Heyes said. Gunfire erupted but the creature hardly seemed fazed.

It roared again and charged the group, leaping over the river and colliding into the ground hard. The Sparrowhawk above them fired its chainguns, pelting the creature with gunfire but it still roared and tore a rock from the ground and tossed it at the helicopter, causing it to sway.

"I'm out!" A Marine said, his rifle out of ammo.

"Me too!"

"Last mag!" They were running out of ammo altogether, and Heyes didn't think they could take this thing with their bare hands. Even the Lakadors seemed to have a hard time tackling the creature with their weapons.

A stream of fire hit the troll and this seemed to get its attention. It was one of the younger dragons, snarling at it. The troll roared and came towards them, only to be hit by more elemental breaths ranging from ice to water to wind to fire to electricity. The troll seemed stunned from these attacks and finally a missile fired from the Sparrowhawk caused the creature to topple over, dead.

The dragons cheered and ran ahead of the group. Dropping an empty magazine from his rifle, he looked at the young dragons. He had always personally looked down upon them. Was it their race? He being conditioned to think that from birth, Humans are superior to all? He didn't know. It was funny actually now that he thought about it. All his life, he had grown up thinking Humans, Humans, Humans. Now, here he was, surrounded by dragons half his height, taking down a freaking troll the size of a small office building. He was just glad they were on his side. He just sort of wished they'd have done that from the very beginning.

The helicopters landed nearby and a few soldiers came out, clad in special ops uniforms, the HACOs. They were followed by a cheetah as well, holding a bow and arrow at the ready.

"1st Sergeant Heyes?" One of them asked, walking over in a still combat stance.

"Yeah that's me. I was escorting these civilians to Warfang."

"Your unit has been commandeered by Colonel Dyke. You are under his command."

"Why, what's going on?"

"The Marine Task Force has intercepted hostile units bound south to a major city. We've held them off to a degree, but we've lost contact with a very special individual. Dyke is assembling a task force to locate this individual, you're unit is being drafted in. You are to move north with us immediately." The HACO explained.

"What? What about these civilians?"

"Don't worry about us, we've gotten this far. It'll probably be safer to stay here then continue to Warfang. This spot'd be perfect for a village." Hymous said.

"Well we've still got a lot of wounded." Heyes said, remembering.

"They can stay here until more birds come this way. You and the able are to move north with us, ASAP."

"Alright. Just out of curiosity, who's the important individual?"

"The Legendary Purple Dragon, Spyro."

End of Chapter 26

Author's Note

Hey guys, I know, I know, it's been a LONG while. I have had a large recess from story writing so I am going to fully update to the most up to date chapters. I am resuming writing and I will add notes at the bottom in case they are needed, because some chapters have conflicting information I put in them, and forgot to take out when submitting it elsewhere. If I add a note saying to disregard a fact or something within the story, it's because I typed it to start a mini 'plot' and ended up scrapping the idea later down the road.

XD sorry for the long note and absence but I've had life to deal with. Hope you guys like these chapters and still read my story.


	27. The Dragon City of Dale

Chapter 27: The Dragon City of Dale

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

March 12, 2204

1421 Hours

Nighthawk bound for Dale

Spyro sat with the others silently. His wings were stressed and tired, especially after this morning. Ever since they plucked him from the sink hole, things had 'gone to hell in a hand basket' as one of the Human soldiers put it. The ancient city of Mandobar 15 miles to the East of them had a beam of purple energy shooting out of it. A black cloud dominated the skyline of the ancient city which according the Aaron, had been destroyed long ago before hand.

The recon group Dyke had sent into the ruins to look for Lakadors had come back with only one squad, the other heading south which Dyke sent drop ships to find. He was still shaky from earlier, the Nighthawk above Gale had apparently been downed by Lakador anti-aircraft fire or something… Nevertheless, what had happened at Mandobar was very important. From what the voice had told him, it was the beginning of the unlocking of the weapon. Malefor's dark crystals had found these 4 points from which the weapon would be launched.

Dyke wanted to secure the other 3 points before Malefor's dark armies could unlock them. This, would prove to be a daunting task. The point far to the north was said to already be a strong hold for the Dark Master. Recon groups of dragons had already scouted it out 4 days earlier. The other points were to the south and west. The southern point was being looked up directly while the western one put it in the middle of a Dragon Settlement known as Dale. Dale was on the western most part of the peninsula, having an enormous port, connecting it to the other points on the world. Due to the… planet cracking… commerce would have undoubtedly had slowed down at the port.

Aaron had warned them though that Dale was a land of very prideful dragons. They don't like to be shown disrespect. So he, Aaron and Cynder along with Karson and Allison were to scout out the city before Marine reinforcements could arrive at the city to help aid in a defense from the inevitable strike that was to come.

The drop ship finally reached the outskirts of the city and put down about a few dozen yards from the main gate. The entirety of the city was behind a large wooden fence, several meters high, so high that the old Dragon Temple itself wasn't as tall as it was.

As they debarked the drop ship, it flared its engines and left them in the grassy plains beyond the gate. As they approached, they were hailed.

"Halt, who goes there!" A voice boomed from a watch tower above the main gate.

"Let me handle this." Aaron said.

"We're a few weary travelers! We seek refuge in your city!" Aaron said as he walked up.

"Oh really…" The guard looked them over from his position above them. The dragon was anthro, much like the ones from Gale. It seemed there were quite a few species of anthros beyond the mountain range that cut north from south…

The dragon continued to look at them before laying eyes on Spyro and Cynder.

"Oh my word… it cant be… it is!"

The guard ushered more to look.

"The great Spyro and Cynder!" The guard exclaimed finally.

Spyro chuckled a bit uneasy, Cynder just grinned at it.

"And they've brought their slaves along with them."

"Slaves?" Spyro asked.

"Those two oafs behind you." Another guard pointed. He was talking about Karson and Allison.

"Those aren't our sla-" Spyro was cut off by Aaron who glared at him and mouthed 'just play along'.

"I mean yes, they are our slaves."

"Odd… he has them as slaves but lets them keep their strange clothes and native weaponry…"

"What does it matter, lower the gates! They should be presented to the King immediately!" The other guards scrambled and the gates were lowered slowly for them before coming down before them. One of the guards leapt down before them, stretching his wings and now visible battle armor.

"Come, come! I shall take you to the king!" He said as he ushered them inside.

The group ran in quickly, Karson and Allison putting their weapons on their backs and running behind the dragons, as to not stir some sort of hatred.

"Hey, you!" A guard grabbed Aaron.

"What? Me?"

"Aaron? How again do you know this place?" Cynder asked, now suspicious of him.

"You're that twerp who stole from the vegetable stands then hid in your friends home…"

"That was 6 years ago!" Aaron exclaimed.

"I still remember you…"

"We've got him, don't you worry." Spyro assured.

The guard looked at him for a while before letting go of Aaron.

"Shoulda just let him take him…" Cynder said.

"Don't say that…" Spyro said.

"Come, we must hurry!" The dragon said as he led them further. They rushed to catch up and walked onwards.

The city was different from the others Spyro had seen. Warfang had been ornate, war torn yes, but still a vibrant city of brick and mortar. Gale had been a beauty to behold and Dale was a city of long rows of houses and buildings made of wood. The roads were made of dirt and most of the dragons looked more rugged compared to Gale's 'elite'.

The castle in the back ground looked like the only real building made of stone or granite. All the other buildings were made of wood and only reached maybe a height of 3 stories. It was still a sight, the city was large. Very large.

As they went, they saw Marines in the city. However, unlike Karson and Allison, they lacked their armor and wore simple garments and were doing work for the dragons. Spyro didn't like it, though he was more worried about reaching the palace before something else reached the city.

The group made haste and finally reached the palace's pearl gates. They entered and the insides were like the outside, though stone and granite were used. They went inside more and the interior exploded with lavish marble and other beautiful carvings and decorations. It was a sight, for sure!

They finally entered the grand hall, a chair sitting atop a long flight of steps at the end was the throne, from which and older, yet still strong and agile dragon sat in. He was obviously the king.

"Welcome travelers! What can I…. my word…." The King said as he saw them, halted in his words as he saw Spyro and Cynder more clearly. He stood from his throne and walked down.

"The legendary Spyro and Cynder… in Dale! Forgive me, welcome to my city! Please, please, make yourselves at home! Servants, bring them some refreshments, fine coats!" The King said while walking up to shake their paws in congratulations. Several servants ranging in different species, including Humans themselves, walked out to give them fine wine and other ornate gifts.

The king looked at Karson and Allison harshly.

"You two! Don't just stand around, serve your masters!" He said to them. They looked at him nervously but ran over to where one of the Human servants waved them over.

They walked to a wooden room connected to a kitchen.

"Guess they got you guys too huh." The servant said while closing the door to the throne room.

"Hey, you're from Kilo Company, aren't you?" Karson asked.

"Yeah, Corporal Harvey Daniels, Kilo Company."

"Where have you guys been?"

"We touched down inside and around the city. When the locals found us they immediately engaged us. With little ammo or food we had to surrender within hours. They then turned us into their slaves and war prizes. It's a miracle they didn't just kill us off, they did that to 3rd platoon… poor bastards…"

"Well we came here with those dragons to maybe free you guys and well… save the freakin' universe." Allison said.

"That right? Well I guess now, nothing is impossible."

"We just need to know where the key is."

"Key?"

"There is a key to a weapon buried beneath the city here. We're looking for it. The main Marine assault group is in position to move in but we need to locate the key to make sure it is safe." Karson explained.

"Well… if you're talking about an ancient structure or something like that, the Guards talk about the 'Sacred Place' a lot. Don't know if that helps any."

"It does. I just hope those 3 can convince the guards to let us go there and help you guys too." Allison added.

"You know where all of your gear is?"

"They took it to a warehouse beneath the palace. They wanted to look it over and clean it before selling it or something."

"We can't let them do that…"

"So far, they haven't. We've been here a while though, don't know when they'll just start selling us off too as their spoils of war or something."

"We need to get you guys out of here. Hopefully those 3 can do something…"

"I wouldn't trust dragons. I wouldn't count on those 3 either. We're better off helping ourselves. Right now…" The soldier handed Karson a mop.

"You need to look busy or you'll get beat. See you later." The soldier went off and got more things for Spyro and Cynder.

"So what brings you two and your friend to my great city?" The King finally asked.

"We've come because of the Dark Master." Spyro said, shrugging off the gifts.

"The Dark Master you say? Our scouts have been reporting large movements to the north…"

"Yes! The Dark Master is trying to take key areas. He wants to capture your city because of something important beneath your city."

"Well if Malefor wants to take my city, I'd like to see him try! Nothing can get passed these walls, I assure you."

"Well we still to help defend." Spyro said.

"And by 'we' we mean the Humans too." Cynder added. Spyro had almost forgot about the prisoners.

"Humans? You mean those fleshy worthless and honorless warriors that surrendered to us?"

"Yes, them. They want to help defend too! They've got an army that can hold off the Dark Master and if you release the servants, they could help too!" She said, trying to convince him.

The king merely chuckled.

"If those flesh sacks can defeat his army, then ours can conquer the world. The servants will remain where they are, and as for the Human army… I think you need to rethink your allies purple dragon."

"But please!"

"Those creatures hold no honor. You're going to be disappointed in those creatures. Our army can take whatever the 'Dark Master' can throw our way, I assure you. Now, tenants, show them to their rooms! Please, enjoy your stay, and rethink on who you rely on." Spyro and Cynder both sighed as two slave cheetahs walked in and showed them to a lavish bedroom, all three of them having their own separate beds in the room.

"Enjoy…" A cheetah said before departing.

"Well… that went well." Aaron said as he sat on the bed.

"We've got to do something!" Cynder said.

"Malefor's army will just clean this place out if they don't agree… this isn't good…" Spyro said.

"No, it's not..." Cynder added.

"Aaron, go back to Wagner. Tell him what happened. The soldiers might have to put themselves in place anyway. Whether the king likes it or not, he needs them."

"Right, I'll be back before you know it!" Aaron said as he leapt towards the window, crashing into it as he had forgotten to open it first. Spyro chuckled and Cynder bluntly laughed at him.

"Right… meant to do that!" He opened the window and flew off into the afternoon sky. The sun was starting to crest downwards, meaning they only had maybe 6 hours of sunlight left.

"I'm going to find Karson and try to have him brought up here as well. Wait here for Aaron, ok?" Spyro asked as he walked towards the door.

"Right, wanted to sit down at least. Good luck." Spyro nodded and walked out of the room. Cynder sat on the bed and waited patiently for Aaron to return.

Spyro walked the halls and back down to the throne room. The king wasn't there. Hopefully he had heeded Spyro's warning and went to mobilize his army or guards. As Spyro walked onwards he went into the kitchen, finding more Marine servants and finally running into Karson who was mopping.

"Karson! There you are!"

"Spyro! Any luck on the King?"

"No… he won't budge. He won't allow the Marines to set up here or even release the prisoners."

"This wont be easy…" Karson said

"Told Aaron to fly back to Wagner, tell him what happened."

"Ok. Allison is looking into the key right now. She'll be back any minute.

"We don't have long before the sun sets…"

"Yeah, we only have a few hours left… not long to act…"

At that moment Allison came back up the stairs.

"We couldn't get down there. Too many guards…" She said as she looked like she was tired and beat.

"Damn… we'll just have to wait then…" Karson said.

"I'll go back up to check on Cynder."

"Right, we'll keep working down here."

Spyro went back upstairs to their room and found Cynder sitting on the bed still, no sign of Aaron.

"Still nothing?"

"No. The sun is setting, we're running out of time."

"I know… if we wait too long we'll have to do this in the morning… we don't know when Malefor's army will come…"

"I just hope that we can get the king to come to an agreement, if what that dragon down in the catacombs said was true, we can't let these areas fall." Spyro said as he looked down at the floor.

"Well we can't force him to agree. We just have to wait…" Cynder said as she sighed, wishing she could have a sarcastic come back to say, but instead having nothing.

It was later in the day that finally the sounds of flapping wings alerted them to Aaron's return.

The black dragon flew in and skidded to a halt, panting as he was out of breath.

"Aaron, you alright?" Spyro asked as he helped the dragon up.

"Spyro… the Dark Armies… they're already coming…" He managed to say in between deep breaths.

"Already?" Cynder said, leaping onto the floor.

"Dyke's mobilizing his army, they'll be here within an hour or so, they let me go ahead."

"And how long until the Dark Army gets here?"

"Maybe sooner than them… it'll take a while to move all of the Marines into position, even the dragons and moles from Warfang won't be able to make it in time…" Aaron said as he motioned for a bit of water, which Spyro managed to get to him.

"We have to warn the king, and Karson and Allison!" Cynder said as she went towards the door.

"Right, Aaron, get the others and meet me outside, we're going to get the guards ready and help the Marines get into positon! Cynder! Go get the King to let the Marines help defend and for the servants to join them!" Spyro said, the others nodding.

"Right!" Cynder said.

"The others are on their way, they're going to meet us outside, they were right behind me!"

"Alright! Come on, let's go!" They all dashed as he said this, racing down the halls. Spyro and Aaron went outside and onto a pathway that lead directly towards the ramparts. They needed this quick route but even then, it would take a while to get there.

Cynder dashed into the throne room, skidding to a halt in front of the king who could only raise an eyebrow at her.

"The Dark Armies! They're coming!" She said. The king's face was filled with alarm as he motioned his guards to come nearer.

"The Dark Armies? Are you sure?" He asked.

"Yes! They're less then an hour away! They'll be here soon!"

"We must mobilize our troops… and topple the Dark Master's army!"

"You wont be able to do it alone, you need the help of our friends, the Humans! Also the dragons and moles from Warfang would like to help!"

"I can accept the help from Warfang, our trusted neighbor, but the Humans I will not tolerate. Now, if you will excuse me…" The king then stepped down from his throne, the guards running off to get the others ready. He walked out to a balcony not too far from the throne room, high enough to survey the entire approach to the city from land. Cynder, annoyed a bit but still tired from her dash, grunted and followed.

The others had arrived by now, amassing near the bridge going to the ramparts but hovering near the balcony now that they saw Cynder. She nodded as Krypto, Zephyr, Roxy and Tom arrived.

"Where is Spyro?" Zephyr asked.

Spyro moved through the hallways until he was on top of the wall, using the access point from the castle. Ravens and Raptors already streaked over the city, firing missiles at targets in front of the city such as large groups of Orcs rushing. It was a nightmare down there. The main Marine Task Force hadn't arrived yet, but some squads deployed in front of the city were already firing a few shots at the army advancing from the north. The dragon warriors stood along the walls, few in numbers but still there to protect the city. The massive army sent by the Dark Master stood before the city, hundreds of thousands of soldiers from all over. The regular orcs and grublins, accompanied by several new creatures from far to the north and from across the Realms.

"He and Aaron went to the Ramparts." Cynder responded, looking out. It wasn't long before they saw the opposing forces.

Karson and Allison ran up to the balcony to join them, the King not liking their presence but allowing it for the moment. Karson had his radio on, the Colonel on the other end.

"Dyke needs to know if there is a green light or not, they're almost here. Cynder?"

Cynder stood on the balcony of the palace, next to the king who nervously watched the massive army approach.

"You see? We can't all of them! We need the Humans to help! They need to cover of your walls!"

"Trust me, as much as I hate Humans, she's got a point, we need their help." Krypto said as he hovered, being too big to fit on the balcony.

The king finally grunted and nodded.

"Alright, let the Humans use our city to help defend…"

"Karson!" Cynder yelled.

"Right! Dyke, you are green light, I repeat! Green light!"

As Karson said this, several Nighthawks and Sparrowhawks flew over the walls and set up squads of soldiers along the walls. Opposition from the guards who saw the massive dropships and troop deployments were obvious and the king grunted and flapped his wings, flying over to the walls.

"Cynder go help Spyro! I'll rally the servants to help in the defense!" Karson said as he moved to load his rifle.

"Right! Come on guys!" Cynder said as she ushered Aaron, Zephyr and the others to come with her. They sailed over, or in Tom and Roxy's case, dashed over to the wall and set up. The army was closing in.

"You Human filth! We will destroy you!" A dragon guard said to a Marine.

"Enough! I have allowed them to fight! Allow them to fight in defense of the city!" The King ordered.

The Guards grunted but allowed the Marines to take position. The soldiers along with other warriors like Cheetahs and other dragons from Warfang set up and the Marines lugged mortars and some Nighthawks dropped off artillery pieces and even a Jaguar Tank or two atop the wall that was reinforced by brick to help defend.

The tanks already started their bombardment, the Dragon warriors recoiling from the massive bang and over pressure from the round sailing downrange towards the army. A distant boom and puff of billowing smoke rose from the impact site, a clean hit but several thousand still charging the city.

Catapults from the dragons fired, huge flaming rocks being hurled at the enemy as the huge army approached. Still, there wasn't much effect. The Main Marine Task Force still had yet to arrive yet, which wasn't good.

"We have to stop them before they reach the city, the walls wont be able to take that army…" Spyro said.

"Are you are? That's a lot, even more then Warfang…" Cynder said as she looked out.

"We have to stop them, buy the Marine Task Force more time to get here."

"By the time they get here this place'll be rubble." Aaron said as he flapped his wings and looked onwards.

The enemy army began to charge at the walls, nearing it with every passing second. They'd be there sooner then they thought as they raced over the open terrain.

Marines already on the top of the ramparts fired long range sniper rifles while catapults and tanks roared off rounds at the forces.

The wait was unbearable. Finally the others joined them and stood at the top of the ramparts as the opposing army raged onwards, getting to less than a mile from the gates.

Archers finally let their arrows fly at the army and the Marines that were their fired rounds from their rifles as well.

Tank bursts and other rounds detonated on the oncoming army as a few more drop ships flew into view and a rival army marching from Warfang stood in the army's path. More soldiers, dragons and Humans alike, were put atop the ramparts.

"Looks like the calvary got here just in time…" Aaron said as he watched the Marines arrive with an army from Warfang.

"Now, we can hold them." Cynder said with a sly smile.

"Hey Spyro!" Spyro looked up at the familiar voice and saw a yellow glow as Sparx flew at him and stopped in his face.

"Think you could keep me away could ya?" He asked.

"Sparxs! Good to see you!"

"Uh, yeah! You cant hold off a million man army without your good 'ol buddy now can you?" He asked cheerfully.

"Right! Let's go down there and help them!" Spyro said and leapt down.

"Yeah! Right behind you… " Sparx said nervously.

"Far behind you…" He added.

Aaron looked at him and chuckled, flying down to join Spyro.

"Come on Sparx, you'll miss out on all the fun, I know how much you'd love this…" Cynder said, leaping down and wrapping her tail around Sparx and dragging him down with her.

"Wait! No! The serpant's got me, help!" Sparx said as she took him down with her. They landed on the ground in front of the army that had positioned itself from Warfang. Rifle fire already filled their ears as the oncoming army was just ahead of them. The Army readied their swords and shields, the dragons huffing smoke from their nostrils.

The moment when the enemy clashed into the friendly forces felt like a moment when time stopped.

Spyro leaped upwards in this moment, escaping a spear and lashing his tail for both balance and to hit the opponent with a powerful blow. Cynder dashed to the side and her razor sharp tail blade slashed into a frenzied anthro Jaguar warrior who was before her. A swine-like enemy had entangled a type of ball and chain weapon around Spyro's tail now, but Spyro retracted his appendage, taking the weapon with it. The unarmed creature snarled and looked at him with a fierce glance, just in time to receive a kick to the face from his leg.

Aaron charged forward, using his horns to smash into a reptilian combatant, knocking him into several more who fell over. Aaron didn't notice an Orc behind him who raised its sword but noticed him when a rifle round tore into its head and dropped the creature. Looking up, Aaron saw Karson and Allison who had gotten themselves to the ramparts and had also somehow negotiated the allowance of the servants to get their weapons and help defend too, for the entire raparts were lined up with them, firing excitedly into the crowd of enemies.

Krypto and Tom smashed into the enemies with brute force while Roxy and Zephyr, not having much in brute physical strength, utilized cunning to catch the soldiers off guard and either slash with their sword or in Zephyr's case, grab with his snout and toss into more enemies.

The sight of so many combatants entering the fray, armor shining and weapons clanging, was a dazzling sight to behold. It was a deadly one though, as more and more enemy combatants charged in, swords, battle axes and specially crafted killing machines flew through the air with deadly efficiency.

With more and more soldiers entering the fray, a new worry entered Spyro's head: could they truly hold off all these numbers? The endless sea of enemies stretched on for as far as the eye could see, theirs only backing up to the walls and stretching for a few dozen yards. Their numbers were minute compared to the enemy. This was not good…

"These things are getting on my nerves…" Krypto said as he used his massive claws to swat several out of the way at once, kicking as well to deliver a more solid hit.

Spyro reared his head around and opened his maw, unleashing a wave of fire to consume the enemy in a sea of red hot fumes and heat.

Cynder grunted and did the same, lashing out with poison to bring her foes down quickly and to her thankfulness, without a mess. Krypto threw in his fire and Aaron blasted a Grublin with a ball of concentrated heat.

"I wish I could use a fury…" Spyro said as he hit another Swine.

"You know we're too close to our own guys to do that…" Cynder added, knowing that a few well placed furies could tip the scale for them, but with them being so close to their own forces, it'd be a bad idea altogether.

A few drop ships flew overhead deployed by the Human Marines, dropping bombs or firing missiles as they called them, streaking into the ground and pounding the enemy army, chunking them high into the air and shredding their numbers. This aside, the numbers were still overpowering. There were just simply too many of them.

Spend cartridges from fired rounds tumbled down the wall of the city as the Marines above fired more and more rounds. Artillery rounds streaked overhead from both the dragons' cannons and the Human deployed guns on the ramparts. Dragons tangoed with wyverns above the battlefield, creating more and more things to take it as the scene got more and more expansive.

"These guys aren't going to give it up easily!" Zephyr said in-between kicks.

"No, but you guys can take them out, can't you?" Sparx said as he hid behind Spyro's horn, yelling to avoid a sword that Spyro managed to dodge in time.

"We've got to find something to tip the fight!" Spyro said.

A few Marines were down there fighting with them, only a few though, the bulk being sent to the ramparts or along the sides for support. One of them Spyro saw had a silver bar on his helmet, much like Wagner. He was still sorting through their 'rank' system or whatever but could tell he probably was of importance. In fact… he looked familiar…

"Spyro! Cynder!" Wagner said as he ran towards them, being the soldier Spyro spotted. He ran and crouched down behind a rock that was beside Spyro, firing at oncoming soldiers.

"You guys could of speed this up you know!" He said as he fired a few rounds off.

"We didn't know they'd advance so quickly or that the dragons here would've been so uncooperative!" Cynder said back.

"Yeah well according to those dragon elders you can fight these guys off, right?" He said as he fired a few more rounds.

"Well… we're trying!" Aaron said.

"What happened to those legendary dragons that fought through the Dark Master's army?"

"Hey, we're workin' on it." Cynder said as she kicked another warrior.

Wagner sighed. He, at least up until this point, had been trying to keep his cool. So far, things were happening so fast he could hardly keep his emotions in line! Now look, there was a flippin' army bigger then he had seen and he didn't know if they could win at all, which… wasn't good obviously.

"What about that big ship thingy above Warfang? Cant it like, you know, whipe all these guys out?" Aaron asked.

"Normally, yes! But recently something's been happening on the ship, and they are having trouble calibrating the weapons, let alone keep it afloat over the city!" Wagner said as he fired another spray of rounds before reloading.

"Woah! Big scary dragon at 12 o' clock!" Sparx exclaimed, pointing at an oncoming dragon figure sailing at them.

"Fang…" Spyro said as he saw the dragon come into focus. The dragon flew in and fired a beam of purple energy at the wall, hitting and the beam punching through and collapsing a part of the wall, creating a breach. Fang landed and slashed his tail, knocking away all of the defending troops in that area, creating a gap in their defenses.

"Onward you slime!" Fang ordered, charging into the city.

"Spyro!"

"I know, let's go!"

"Wait for us!"

"No, you guys defend the city, we'll take care of Fang! We'll be right back!" Spyro said as he and Cynder dashed and took off into the sky to chase Fang.

"Uh yeah, right behind you!" Sparx said as he chased but was cut off by a Wyvern.

"Ah! Big scary flying thing!" Sparx yelled before taking cover behind Aaron.

"Great…" Wagner muttered, aiming once more at the enemy army.

Spyro and Cynder flew over the city walls, seeing the enemy army pour into Dale, the dragon guards doing their best to repel them but only doing so well. The Marines also tried but just like the dragons, there were just too many enemy foot soldiers that they over powered the defenders.

They saw Fang racing towards the palace and they flew down to the central avenue and landed, running after the large dragon. As they ran, they saw three grublins run through the streets, one getting hit by gunfire from a Marine while the other two leapt onto a dragon guard and engaged him, the dragon guard grunting and knocking one off before stabbing the other with a knife. More came though, and overpowered the guard.

As they reached a crossroads in the city, a Cougar Human Jeep vehicle drove in front of their path, the main weapon on it firing away at Orcs, Jaguars and several other enemy combatants as it passed by. Drop ships fired away and shot Wyverns from the sky and dragons engaged in ferocious fights high above the city streets.

Before they realized it though, they ran right into Fang.

"Well, well, well… the purple dragon, we meet again."

"Fang…" Spyro said.

"I'm disappointed in your little defense here… I expected those Humans to put up more of a fight… your dragon friends cannot save this place either… the key will fall! And with it, the Master will be that much closer to the Final Solution."

"He'll never get it!" Spyro yelled as he fired a ball of fire at Fang. Fang simply huffed and snuffed the flame before it reached him.

"Pitiful…" As he said this, he dashed at Spyro, grabbed him, and tossed him high into the air.

"Spyro!" Cynder yelled as Fang kicked her into the ground and sailed high into the air to take the purple dragon once more.

Fang flew high into the air and caught the dragon before hitting him away into the ground again, Spyro landing hard on the ground and skidding. This was hopeless, he was still way too powerful to take on the way he had been fighting, but it's really the only style he knew…

As lied there pondering and whipping a bit of blood that had accumulated on his lip he felt Fang pull him up and snarl at him.

"Pitiful…" He said once more, a sneer on his face this time around.

"Bastard…" Spyro said simply.

Fang sneered and tossed him to the ground once more. At this point, Cynder groaned and saw what was happening, rushing to Spyro's aid. She dug under the ground using shadow and lashed up, coming forth from the ground to launch her sneak attack.

It failed, Fang sensing her and smacking her with his paw as she launched in the air, skidding next to Spyro.

"You two are such failures. I will never understand how you two beat Master. You cannot beat me and you will never defeat him again. He is stronger now…"

"We can still try… and we can still win..." Spyro said while standing up once more, Cynder joining him.

"You two are really persistant aren't you… just don't know when to give up… or to call it quits… you're fighting a loosing battle! Use your sense!" Fang smacked the two dragons at this, sending them into a wall.

"Just give it up already!" He yelled again at them. They still got back up.

"Spyro… he's strong… how are we going to win against him?"

"Like with did with Malefor… we have to keep trying…" Spyro snarled and rushed at Fang once more at Fang, a rash charge.

Fang only smiled slyly.

As Fang lashed his tail to smack him away, Spyro flapped his wings and enveloped his body in a deep fire, using his tail and upper body like a wheel and lowered himself onto Fang's tail, scorching it.

He roared, this coming to a surprise to Fang who examined his tail and sneered.

"Finally something interesting…" He said before flapping his enormous wings and taking off into the sky. Spyro and Cynder gave chase without a second thought.

They flew up into the sky and over the city, chasing the black dragon as he flew out towards the sea.

"It's a shame you two have to die here… in such a beautiful place… it will make a nice trophy once we burn it…" Fang said again with a laugh.

Spyro was the first to lunge at Fang, Cynder doing the same but flying towards the side.

Spyro's charge was met with a huge gust of wind which knocked him off course and Cynder was blasted out of the sky with a beam of energy, she barely regaining her flight near the water's surface.

Spyro regained himself as well, flying straight at Fang again, but from under. The large dragon flapped his wings to regian his composure and sneered again, only requiring a kick to disable the other dragon.

"Come on, put up more of a fight!" He yelled at Spyro who grunted as he flew back up to meet his attacker. In all the times he had fought Fang, none of his attacks worked. Fang always saw what he or Cynder were up to… he'd always be able to pick one off at a time… one off at a time… that was it! They only lost so much because they always attacked at separate and not together! If they attacked together, they could do more damage and possibly beat him! It's how they defeated Malefor the first time, it was bound to work on this guy.

"Cynder! We have to work together, follow my lead." The familiar phrase sparked the idea in her head and she nodded, flapping her wings for more elevation and Spyro flew left and she went right, she conjuring a ball of shadow energy while Spyro formed an arc of electricity in his maw. Fang tracked the two but as Spyro launched his arc Fang countered with a tail strike. This, however, left his entire backside exposed as he focused on Spyro. Cynder used this to strike with cunning efficiency as she flew in and struck with her shadow attack.

Fang roared as he felt the shadow energy hit him, sending him forward. Spyro used his own ice attack and enveloped his tail in ice, lashing it outward and hitting Fang

in the chest.

Fang roared out and swung around to hit the dragons mid swing but they dodged and used the resulting opening to attack once more at Fang. He roared once more as they both struck him in the back with their powerful elemental attacks, causing him to fly near the surface of the water.

The city of Dale and its harbor sat just beyond, reminding Spyro of the battle beyond. He'd have to take down Fang if they'd have a chance at winning.

Spyro looked at Cynder and she nodded, knowing what he had in mind. They sailed down as Fang grunted and flew back up, gaining speed and smashing into Fang with such force he was knocked into the water and sank beneath the rough waves.

"We win?" Cynder asked.

"Don't know…"

There were a few moments of pure silence, nothing but the sounds of the sea. Suddenly the calm was split as Fang flew out of the water and grabbed the two dragons, holding them in his clutches.

"ENOUGH!" He yelled as he held onto them both.

"You two have proven to be an annoyance now… time to end you both…" He multiplied his grip on them, sneering as he did so.

"We can win… we will beat you!"

"Just try…"

Spyro struggled more and more, as well as Cynder, who grunted. They had to work together. They had to or they'd die and all the hopes of the dragon realms, and not even the dragon realms, even the Humans and everything else, would go with them. They just had to succeed… they just had to!

Suddenly something snapped inside Spyro and he roared loudly as a released a volume of energy which caused Fang to release them. He grunted at this.

"What is this?"

Spyro snarled in response. Cynder regained herself and felt her own energy building up. She snarled as well, knowing the same thing Spyro did, they had to beat Fang, one way or another. They just had to win.

"Time to end this!" He roared, firing a beam of pure dark energy at the two dragons, them firing a beam of dark energy in turn. The beams hit and energy pulsed from them. The beams pushed towards them and against them. They put more and more energy, struggling to push more and more to win. They just had to, they had to.

They put more energy into their beams, Fang doing the same. Spyro felt something building inside of him. A great power… that he hadn't felt yet. Something extraordinary…. He just had to tap into it… he just had to…. Suddenly Spyro felt raw power exit his maw and smash into the collision of beams already in place.

The beams exploded and smashed into Fang, piercing through his chest and sending him flying backwards into the water. The resulting explosion from the beams hitting sent Spyro and Cynder flying hard, both hitting the water at high velocities, knocking them both out. They sank beneath the waves as the dust settled and fell onto the water, the calm overtaking the once chaos that had once dominated the scene.

End of Chapter 27


	28. Just Like Old Times

Chapter 28: Just like Old Times

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

April 17, 2204

0823 Hours

Unknown Location

We are all slaves.

We toil, all our lives.

For what?

For our freedom? Our rights? Our lives?

Sometimes, we don't even realize it. We may be free, but we are all slaves. Slaves to ourselves…

Spyro's vision was dizzy. He could hardly see anything that was going on. What he _did _know was that he was moving. Though, it wasn't him though, he was being… dragged? Yes, he was! Someone was dragging him and he was upside down. He felt nothing however, most of his body numb. He himself was in a daze, almost like a stupor. He could tell the walls around him were brown, small globs of orange of what he would suppose would be fire sticks to illuminate paths.

Blurred figures entered and exited his field of vision, going back and forth. The globs didn't resemble dragons, nor the Human Marines. Something was wrong… what happened…

Spyro remembered what happened. He remembered it all. He was in a battle, defending Gale. No… it was Dale! That's right! He was fighting Fang alone… no…. with Cynder! They were fighting and something happened… and explosion! They were knocked into the water, beyond that, he didn't know. What happened to Gale, wait, Dale? Where were his friends? Did they win?

It was hard to think straight, things were still a blur to him… a very big blur… His vision was starting to clear up a bit more, he could see that he was in a cave and his first assumption was correct. The creatures around him were not Humans or Dragons or even Cheetahs. They were Jaguars, Swines, Reptilians, some bug like creatures and several other species that Spyro didn't even recognize. He did see the black armor that they wore, along with other hand crafted armor. He knew already, these were friendly soldiers, and he was in no friendly place.

Spyro felt himself being thrown and he grunted as he hit the ground and felt it as he looked around. He was in a cell of some sorts. He felt a bit more feeling in his body know, and his vision was clear again. The creature who had dragged him there shut a cell door and Spyro grunted, shaking his head to get more oriented.

He stood up and looked around more. His cell was big enough for him to venture around in, 2 walls were made of rock walls, one wall being a cell door and another being bars. His cell was obviously on the corner as hallways were outside the barred walls. There were more cells wherever he looked, various creatures inside of them. They didn't seem like prisoners like him, being from the Alliance as it was referred to. He was a Prisoner of War. These others… they seemed like menacing creatures that'd be deployed on the battlefield, but not too smart to let roam freely in a structure without it eating their own soldiers. Others that were in the cells looked to be other creatures that looked like crooks within their own ranks, or just people who had crossed these guys.

Whoever they were, they weren't friendly. Spyro sighed and sat in his cell. He looked up and blinked for a second. He saw something black in the cell opposite to him. Getting up, he ran to the bars and saw that the black figure was a dragon, chained to the wall. He looked harder, and he realized, it was Cynder! She was here too! She was knocked out though… and chained to a wall… he hoped she was alright… She had cut and bruise marks all over her, as if she had been through several battles, one after the other.

Looking at himself, he realized he wasn't any better. His entire body was riddled with wounds and other scratches and cuts. He didn't remember doing anything since the battle with Fang! Did he and she really get all these injuries from him? As he felt more of his body coming to, he felt pain throbbing from each wound. These were defiantly fresh wounds… Though some felt older, and looked it too. It couldn't have been long since the battle with Fang… where did all these come from? What was going on? How long had he been out?

Spyro tried to think harder, what had happened? How the hell was he here in the first place? How did they get captured? Something was amiss… Sighing, Spyro sat down in the corner and closed his eyes. He was very tired for some reason. Without much thought, he fell into a deep sleep.

April 22, 2204

1423 Hours

Unknown Location

Cynder awoke to the harsh clanging of metal chains. She groaned and looked up, her vision blurred. Her memory came to as well, and she wondered how long she had been out. The cell walls, she had seen them time and time again. She'd be conscious enough to know what was going on, then be out for maybe 5 days. She had done things within those days but had no recollection of what had happened. If she was right, her and Spyro had been in these cells for… a very long time… she wasn't sure how they ended up there, or the purpose… though she had her suspicions…

She saw the guards unlock Spyro's cell. They grabbed him and dragged him off somewhere. She had seen him dragged off frequently and knew just what they were doing to him… she knew that they were doing the same things to him as they were to her…

She hadn't seen him awake yet though. He was always dragged to his cell, knocked out cold. She doubted he had been conscious since the battle with Fang. Though she knew that somehow she was accumulating injuries without her being conscious either… so something was up… Nevertheless, ever since they got here who knows how long ago, they had been doing things to them… terrible things… experiments and she didn't know just what they were… oh no… a guard was coming to unlock her cell… she knew what to expect.

The guard opened the cell door and snarled something to her in a strange tongue. She glared a bit but he reached in and grabbed her without her putting up much of a fight. She knew that it was pointless to fight back. The wound on her thigh that was still healing was proof of that. The guard placed a chain around her neck and lead her from the cell and through the cave that was the citadel. They walked for a while before they reached a large wooden door that slid open. Cynder was kicked into an opened up area, being massive and circular in shape. It was an arena.

Hundreds of creatures lined up in stands carved out of the stone and wooden tiers that held up the area. Cheers and chats flew through, though not for her, she already knew that by now. This was to be expected now. Every waking moment she was taken here practically. Taken here to test new monsters, new creatures. Thankfully, none of them had passed, for she was still alive.

A few items were thrown at her, a glass bottle smashed next to her, sharp pieces hitting her scales and some puncturing her skin. She cringed in pain but marched on, knowing she'd die here if she didn't try hard enough.

The opposing gate opened up and a creature snarled and walked out. It was a large canine creature with armor. It resembled a canine through it's overall anatomy, but was very much bulkier then a canine. It growled at her and she glared. The creature charged at her at a pace that she had trouble following. She was immediately knocked into the ground and grunted, slowly getting back up.

The canine sniffed the air and turned to her, snarling again. She grunted and flapped her wings in defiance. The canine snarled and rushed again. This time she used her shadow ability to dig into the ground, a cloud of black smoke where she once was. The canine blew through the smoke and snarled, seeing his target had vanished.

Cynder lurched upwards from underneath, knocking the yelping canine into the and onto the ground. The canine threw itself back up, looking around and sniffing the air for Cynder. Cynder lashed her tail, sending a wave of air that slammed into the canine and caused it to slam into the arena's walls. Boos and other insults came down to the dragoness as she whipped her tail and flapped her wings, flying at the creature. It slowly got back up but she didn't give it a chance to react.

She grabbed onto it and sank her tail deep into its back, the creature trashing while under her. Finally it let out a wail as it stopped trashing, blood oozing from its wound. She retracted her tail and slowly got off. She had won, for now.

Guards entered from one side of the arena and grabbed Cynder, she not putting up a fight anymore. As they dragged her out of the arena, she sighed. This was almost a day to day routine now. She felt weak, yet powerful for some reason. Every waking moment she could remember it was like this. She'd fight in the arena, win, guards would take her somewhere and she'd be knocked out.

She was right about the knock out part. She looked up and saw a soldier above her, holding a spear. He used the butt end of it and slammed it against Cynder's head. She was out immediately. The warriors dragged her body down the hall and through another set of doors.

Spyro was in a daze once again. He felt himself being moved but couldn't move his limbs. He was being dragged again, no surprise there. He felt himself being tossed to the ground and skidding to a halt. He groaned and found he could move his arms and legs now. He got up shakily and saw that he was in an arena. Just like Cynder had before, there were hundreds of enemy combatants sitting in stands along the arena's edges.

Spyro walked in more, thinking on how this arena reminded him of the one aboard the pirate ship that he had been on, years ago. He had a pretty good idea of where this was going…

Just as he had thought, a door on the other end of the arena burst open and gladiator-like soldiers ran into the arena. They snarled as they held gleaming swords and armor. They charged the purple dragon and Spyro grunted as he managed to find some strength left to fight with, it not being much, but just enough.

He leapt into the air, kicking the two initial attackers and spun around, using his tail to whip against the next batch of soldiers to attack him. Dust flew from his movements and clouded the area around him, the sunlight from above and the outside world pouring into the arena. A cirtain level of mystique fell upon the purple dragon as he slashed out with an ice attack and landed on the ground, eying his attackers.

Undaunted, they charged head on.

Spyro huffed and called upon his energy once more to ensnare an attacker in his horns and use him as a shield from other gladiators. Swords were cut into the soldier and he was hit multiple times from other attackers. Finally, Spyro tossed him into the crowd of enemies with one good kick.

The group of soldiers grunted and tried to get back up. Spyro didn't give them a chance. He opened his maw and used fire, but a beam of black energy shot forth from his muzzle. He was surprised as the energy, unlike before, didn't require much effort from him physically. Before, he strained himself to maintain a stream. Now, it felt as easy as softly blowing out.

This surprised, and scared him. A few moments ago he had been weak. Where did this sudden upsurge in energy come from? Really, he didn't care. If it meant beating these guys so they didn't kill him, then for the moment, he didn't care.

The beam obliterated the soldiers, some being disintegrated on the spot. Those that weren't vaporized by the intense beam of super heated dark energy were soldering and black corpses that littered the arena.

Spyro breathed for a moment, looking up the crowd and then back down. Suddenly he felt something inside of him snap, and a burst of pain surged through his head. He grunted and fell to the ground, gripping his head. The door behind him opened and more soldiers came out. These restrained him and put a chain around his neck, carrying him away.

Spyro struggled but the pain was just too much. He gave up and allowed them to carry him off, walking with them. A new set of doors opened up in front of him and he saw machinery of some kind, dead bodies, probably the ones he had killed, though some were probably from other battles that obviously happened here.

He saw a table ahead of him and Spyro was thrown onto the table harshly. As he tried to get back up, he felt that he was chained to the table. Trying to get away, the chains were too strong and he felt that sudden burst of energy now gone.

He felt something pierce into his scales and his eyelids drooped. He slowly faded from consciousness as he felt something come into his blood stream. He felt a cold wave flow through him and he was out black.

April 26, 2204

1723 Hours

Cynder awoke with a daze. She grumbled as she sat up slightly, a bit of blood on the floor, her blood. The afternoon sun was setting over the land, its orange hue casting itself over the openings in the cave like area. She sighed and saw that there was food there for her. She walked over and picked it up, nibbling at it. It tasted awful, yet it was all she had. She didn't know how long she had been out this time, probably a few days. The longest she was out was a week, though she forgot how she found out.

There was a dank smell of sweat in the air, which made her wince. She grunted and coughed, continuing to eat the food she had. The stale bread and cold slop would have made her throw up but to her, not eating after a few days it tasted awesome to her.

She finished it and sighed, sitting down as a calm wind flowed through the cave. How long was she going to be here? How long would she have to keep fighting? She looked over to Spyro's cell and saw that it was empty. He was probably at the arena, fighting.

A thud caught her attention. She looked and saw a guard scream and fall. A beam of purple energy cut through beams nearby and a bit of dirt fell as well as rocks from the cave walls.

She tried to see what wpas going on but more guards silenced what was going on farther away. The noises calmed down but she figured something had happened to Spyro, he was at the arena, wasn't he? Hopefully whatever battle he was in, he was winning. At least she hoped. She sighed and lied her head down. Before she could fall asleep however, she heard guards walking to her cell and unlocking her door. She groaned. Another arena fight. How fun…

She got up and didn't offer resistance as the guard placed a chain around her neck and carried her off. However, they did not go towards the arena. Instead, they headed towards a throne-like room. Purple fires were lit all around her in the dungeon like area. There was a seat at the end of the room where a large black figure sat. It was the Dark Master. It was Malefor.

"Malefor…"

"Greetings Cynder. It's been a while since we've had a nice 1 on 1 chat…"

"There is nothing to chat about…" She said coldly, glaring.

"Oh really now…"

"You used me! You used everyone to get what you wanted!"

"Are you sure Cynder? Is that how you really feel, or is it just that you've been around your friend Spyro so long that your true incentives, your true motives, have become clouded and now are just a 'memory'. "

She glared at this.

"You are so willing to disobey your master… after all I've given you? All I've done?"

"All you've done is have me a slave my entire life!"

"A slave? To what? Your true ambitions? Dear Cynder, when I made you what you were, I didn't 'corrupt' you at all… I only gave you the power… and your ambitions and true desire for power drove you to what you were… I didn't make you evil, you did."

She growled at this statement, but scowled. He had been correct. As much as she hated to admit it, he hadn't really made her evil. She had just… told herself that all these years to make it sound better. Her lust for power caused her to make the stupid mistake of bringing him back… a mistake she now was regretting…

"Dear Cynder… I thank you for bringing me back the first time and now here we are again. You and that 'legend' are chained and under my command…"

"Leave Spyro alone."

"Oh, your little boyfriend hmm? I'm afraid not… he has yet to see just what the 'Purple Dragon' is capable of… and what they are meant to do…"

"They are meant to lead the creatures into peace!"

"They are meant to awaken the true power beneath the ground here, and bring all under one banner to usher peace…"

"Awaken the weapon? Are you crazy? What good could possibly come from it?"

"Besides holding the most powerful raw weapon ever devised? About having the power to cleanse everything and start anew? I assure you Cynder, the weapon cannot eliminate everything, but can do a great deal enough damage to do some good to this falling apart world… and several others…"

"Buy why?"

"Because, the Purple Dragons are the keepers of the Great Weapon! Did you not think I already knew about the weapon? Knew what it was capable of? None of the civilizations before were worthy to behold the weapon, and were too corrupt and too destructive to… it is why they were cleansed from the world… and the weapon sealed until it's true master could arise, me! I will use the weapon to its full potential, and use the key to unlock the weapon's grand power!"

"We wont let you! We'll stop you!"

"You think you really stand a chance? You and that purple hero? You two can't do anything, your Human friends can't stop me, nor can their adversaries, the Lakadors! They will all fail!"

"No, we can still stop you!" She proclaimed.

The Dark Master merely chuckled.

"You cannot stop what has been written. You are both under my control. There's nothing you can do to stop it. Enjoy your stay Cynder… you wont be long for here… I have a nice place for you waiting up North, might even garrison an army under you."

"I'll never fight for you again!"

"You say that now…" As he said this, guards took her and dragged her back to her cell. They tossed her inside and shut the cell doors, the torches usually lit now dormant and the hallway an eerie black. She curled up and tried to fall back to sleep.

May 13, 2204

0932 Hours

The days flowed like leaves in the wind. The rising and setting of the sun became ritual, and time flowed by. The days grew shorter and shorter, almost like a blink, and they were gone. Cynder remembered just how fragile things were… especially to this nature... Cities…entire families… lives… gone, in the blink of an eye. She thought back to what Malefor had said to her in the chamber… He was right. He had done little in warping her mind and enslaving her mind. He had given her power… and that lust for power… that love for destruction and evil… she craved it.

It's why she awaked the Dark Master the second time… she wanted that power back… she just loved how it felt… to crush her opponents in her claws… destroying anything that opposed her, to dare stand in her way. It was… awesome power… no, no it wasn't right. She was with the Alliance now. Fighting for the salvation of the dragons and all others. There was no room for… power… no matter how good it may have felt…

She used her claw to doodle something in the dirt beneath her. She hadn't seen the outside in so long… she just wanted out of this place. She wanted to see Spyro again… she missed him. She had really grown attached to him in their time together. She just… felt connected to him. She felt that she was supposed to be there… to help him out… but now she didn't even know if she could trust herself…

She'd just have to make due for now… see what she could do. They had to stop the Dark Master.,. they had to stop him… his army… all of this… But how? She was shackled and too weak to fight. She hadn't seen Spyro in a long time now, a week or two, she lost count a while ago.

Now she just wondered if they'd ever leave this place. This dungeon… they'd been in it for a long time. Too long… It felt like an eternity ago that they were back at the new dragon temple in Warfang. It had been over a month...

They had to escape. Get out somehow, if only they weren't encaged and weak… At some points she could hardly stand. She wouldn't be able to get through these chains, let alone passed all the guards that roamed the halls and sneered at her, sometimes even spitting at her. That foul odor still hung in the air, but at least now she didn't feel like throwing up anymore. Now, she just felt a bit light headed from time to time. Her only real breath of fresh air were the arena fights.

She heard the all too familiar sounds of chain rattling and she turned to see a guard approaching, sneering at her as he unlocked her cell and dragged her out. It was time for yet another arena fight. She didn't put up any resistance, saving all her energy for the arena fight. The guard dragged her until they reached the gateway to the arena where he tossed her in and she groaned as she got back up. She shook her head softly, getting focused while walking slowly into the arena. The regular creatures populated the seats around her, and the usual voice blared on, talking about her opponent for today.

The opposite gate opened and a figure walked out. Smoke clouded her vision as she looked on. It was a lone figure, this might be easy. The figure approached and walked into the sunlight. The orange light reflected off of the creature's purple scales, causing a slight fuzz around them. Golden horns shined brilliantly, even as dust stirred up from around them blew onto them. That familiar golden chest bulged with muscles and strength, and a familiar face stirred Cynder out of her trance-like state.

It was Spyro, the dragon.

"Spyro?"

"Cynder?" Spyro asked, as if noticing her for the first time.

"Spyro! You're ok!"

"Cynder, where are we? What's going on? Spyro asked. Obviously he hadn't had that 'meeting' with the Dark Master.

"We're being held captive…" She said softly.

"Well, that much I figured out…" Spyro said while looking around at the creatures around him.

Howls of disapproval flew through the air as the creatures desired a fight, and guards lined the edges to make sure it happened.

"We've got to get out of here Spyro, the Dark Master is planning on doing terrible things, we have to stop him!"

"I… I don't know if I can leave…" Spyro said softly.

"What? Why not?"

"I feel strange… weak even… I don't know if I can fight on…" He said.

"You have to Spyro! We have to get out of here, and fast!"

Spyro grunted a bit as he shook his head, trying to stay focused.

"I feel strange Cynder… maybe your right… maybe we should leave…"

"Yes, come on! Let's get out of here, and fast!"

They flapped their wings, hoping to swoop out of the arena since there was no roof to it, a straight shot out.

Cynder flapped her wings and took to the skies, but Spyro grunted and fell back down to the ground.

"Spyro!" She swooped back down to get him to his feet but he felt cold. His eyelids were sealed shut and he was grunting and groaning as if in severe pain.

"Spyro, are you alright, say something!"

"Cynder…" He said calmly, a bit of anger in it.

"Spyro…?" She asked, backing up as he started to shake. What had they done to him? She felt a powerful darkness emanating from him, causing a ping of fear within her.

She backed up as Spyro stood back up, a face of anger on him. His eyes were glowing a bright white and his body giving off a dark aura. He snarled and looked at her, his face contorting.

"Spyro...?" She asked. He snarled and charged her. She leapt out of the way and regained her posture. Spyro skid on the ground and turned around sharply, putting her in his sights again. He rushed a second time. This time Cynder whipped her tail to push him away. He flew but landed on all fours and skidded for a bit before going again at her. This time he opened his maw and a bright beam of purple energy sparked from his muzzle and hit Cynder dead in the chest. She screamed and hit the back wall.

She grunted and struggled to get back up. That hit was hard, and it sapped a bit of her only remaining strength. Her vision was blurred as she saw the dark aura surrounding Spyro as he approached her.

He looked just like he had before… on the night of eternal darkness… and in the Burned Lands… Now he was here. This time he was different though… Each time before Spyro seemed to have some sort of grip on himself. Some… tether to his 'dark' self. Now… he was just gone completely.

Spyro snarled and rushed again, trying to impale her on his horns. She came too and flapped her wings, sailing upwards. He smashed into the wall and repelled, looking back up at her to lock back on. He kept a glare on her as she went back and landed on the arena floor near the center. He trotted and then charged again, going faster then she thought possible.

Cynder raised her tail defensively.

"I don't want to do this Spyro! Stop!" It was too late. Spyro sailed to fast at her and caught the sharp end of her tail. The blade tipped tail sliced into the purple dragon, causing him to snarl and recoil. Blood dripped from a pierce wound to his leg.

"Spyro, I'm so sorry!" She said, alarmed.

He merely roared and leapt after her again.

She dashed to the side, getting out of his way. He got her however, his tail wrapping around her hind leg and dragging her to the ground. He clawed at her, using his sharp talons to rip at her scales. She kicked him off and used a burst of wind to push him away. She couldn't use any of her other elements… it'd be too risky. Spyro got back up and panted a bit before forming another ball of superheated dark energy in his maw. She could see that unlike the last one, this one would really leave a mark…

He fired the beam and she dodged, the area behind her exploding from the force of the energy. The super heated dark energy scorched the land and he snarled, charging another blast to hit her. She took to the skies and flew around, avoiding each blast as he fired them in succession. He finally stopped and flew up to meet her, slamming into her. She used wind to push him back and form a shield but he went straight at her, hitting the shield and trying to smash through it with his claws.

He finally growled louder and roared, hitting her with another blast of energy. The dark energy hit her shield and blasted through it, hitting her before she realized what was going on. The beam pushed her headlong into the wall behind her and she slumped to the ground. Spyro landed in front of her, snarling. Spyro shuddered though, his energy being depleted. His scales returned to their purple state and his eyes faded back to the way they were before. He returned to being Spyro.

Spyro fell out of the harsh trance and came to to see Cynder slumped against the wall, black smoke rising from her chest where he had hit her.

"Cynder…?" He asked softly, approaching her. He reached out with a paw after she failed to answer. He touched her scales, brushing his talon against her. Her body was cold, a deathly cold. Scared, he called out again.

"Cynder? Are you alright?"

She moved slightly, but her body was still cold. She was beaten up. Had he… done this to her? What did he do? This was horrible…

"Spyro…" She said. He backed up as he saw an aura surround her. Something wasn't right. What was happening? She stood up and looked at him. Her green eyes were now a pale white and a black mist flowed around her. She looked just like she did when they were at Malefor's lair. She was corrupted again.

She looked at him with a sinister smile. He backed up again, this time with a bit of fear.

"Where're you going?" She asked, her voice horribly contorted and corrupt.

"Cynder, what happened? What have they done to you, to us?"

"Done? They've done nothing… only given us power!"

She lunged and struck him with her razor sharp tail. He cringed and flew back. Had he done the same? What was going on? He used fire to form a shield as she struck again, he disbanding it.

"Cynder don't do this! You're better then this! I know you!" He said.

She smiled at him. The power, it felt great! How could she have thought otherwise? How could she have been a fool! THIS was what she craved! THIS is what she wanted! She would enjoy every moment of it too…

She struck him with her paw and sent him back a bit from the force.

"Cynder, please!" He pleaded again.

She screeched and attacked again, hitting his arm and cutting him. He cringed at the hit and stepped backwards, trying to get away. This wasn't good. He didn't want to harm her… He just wanted to stop her… but how?

As he was pondering she struck again and slammed him against a wall. She flicked her tail and gave him a cut on his arm, causing a spike of pain to flow through his body. She released him and grabbed her head. Something was happening to her, much like what had happened to him. However she shook it off and came at him again. She charged him and he grunted, trying to defend himself.

In a split second, she was knocked into the dirt and he opened his eyes, he had been unharmed. A shield he had unknowingly put up slowly deteriorated, and Spyro was left stumped. Had he made that shield? How did he do it? What was going on? He grunted and grasped at his wound on his arm, blood slowly seeping out. Cynder awoke from her power craze, opening her eyes. She got up shakily and saw Spyro injured before her.

"Spyro?" She asked softly. Had she done that to him? Did she really… do that in her… her power craze…? A powerful feeling of guilt overcame her as she looked at the ground.

"Cynder…" Was all Spyro could say before he fell over unconscious. Guards came and retrieved him, taking him back down into the cells. They took her as well, throwing her back into her cell. Night slowly came upon the caves. A dimly lit torch gave Cynder a little light in which to think. She had hurt Spyro… and all that power… it had felt wonderful… she couldn't stop herself… she was a horrible person…

She cried softly, burying her face into her paws as she sat on the ground. A new sound stirred her from her crying. She looked up, seeing the guards place someone new inside the cells. She looked more and saw that the person was a Human Marine. The soldier was only in his uniform, no armor or weapon. He looked at her for a good while after they tossed him in his cell and he looked as if he was doing something, but she couldn't see. The Marine didn't say much and remained quiet as he sat in his cell and she sat in hers. Cynder returned to her crying and let sleep take her.

Spyro sat in his cell in the darkest parts of the dungeon. He drew in the dirt with his claw, not much else he could do. He wondered just what he had done to Cynder back in the arena. He tried to think hard… His mind had just been so consumed in darkness, he couldn't tell anything apart. He felt so distant… so out of place. Nothing was making any sense whatsoever. The Dark Master awakening the weapon? According to Rithul, they, the purple dragons were the Guardians of the Weapon, but if they were a Guardian, why was Malefor going to use the weapon, wipe out all existence? These were even darker times then before…

He only hopped Cynder was ok where was. He wished he knew where she was… but he was stuck in his cell. He sighed sadly and lied his head down to rest. Tomorrow was sure to be filled with the same thing over and over. When would it end…

May 14, 2204

0534 Hour

Spyro was flying through the air, soaring higher then ever. Suddenly his wings were gone and he crashed hard onto the ground. Grunting, he tried to get back up and find out where he was. He couldn't see anything though, for a black fog had enveloped him. He looked as hard as he could, trying to peer through the thick black cloud. Seeing nothing he sighed and looked down.

Suddenly he did see something. He saw everything on fire, his friends being attacked, dead, dying. Malefor ruling over the lands and his armies destroying everything.

"Spyro!" A voice called. He tried to find it but couldn't.

"Spyro!" This time he felt the pain of the others, a blow to his face. This was all too much…

"Spyro!" Suddenly Spyro was sucked out of this eternal hell and opened his eyes. He was back in the dungeon. It was pitch black almost.

"Spyro!" He heard the voice again. A hooded figure stood outside his cell, opening it.

"Who's there…?" Spyro asked sleepily.

"It is your friend, Hunter." Hunter said. Spyro lifted his head was indeed Hunter. The cheetah stood with his bow and arrow, opening the cell door.

"Got him?" A Human asked nearby. It was Karson, wearing black armor and no helmet as usual. His blond hair flowed in the drafty dungeon.

"Yes, it is him."

"How'd you guys find me?"

"We've got our ways, now come on, let's get out of here!" Karson said. Karson raised his rifle and ushered them to follow. Spyro limped slowly out of the cell and Hunter helped him. They went down the hall and Karson lead the way.

"This is Red 2 checking in, we've got Target 1. We're heading south through the complex and are en route to the extraction zone, over."

_"Roger, Red 1 reported in, Target 2 and 3 are secure and are en route. Move along the exfill route and meet up with Red 3 at exfil point bravo as soon as you can, Command out."_

"Let's go, let's go." Karson said in a low voice as they went through. Three guards on early morning patrol were in the hallway in front of them, Hunter and Karson taking immediate action. Hunter put an arrow through the chest of one, and Karson fired a three round burst from his assault rifle. However, unlike the CLACK that Spyro was a custom to, it make nothing louder than a cough, its flash also missing. Spyro did notice a long black tube placed at the tip of the weapon. He found that odd, for he had never seen that on the weapons before.

The other guard fell over from the three rounds connecting with his head, blood splattering on the wall nearby and the two fell silently and quickly. They pushed on, over the dead bodies and through a narrow hallway where prisoners were still asleep, the foul creatures not even aware of what was going on. Three more guards stood before them, talking. Spyro sat and clenched at his wound on his arm as Karson took out one Guard, alerting the other two. However before they could react, an arrow from hunter took out one while another burst from Karson's assault weapon took out the third. They fell as quickly as the first ones had and as quietly. Once more they pushed over the dead bodies and onward.

_"All red units, Party Crasher is on stand by and awaiting signal. What is your status, over?" _The Radio crackled.

"This is Red 2, we're moving on schedule and are moving into the pipe works, ETA to Bravo, 5 minutes."

_"This is Red 1, we're moving along the wall and should be there soon. ETA, 2 minutes." _Spyro could faintly hear the conversations coming in over their Radio.

They moved farther down the halls, the dimly lit tunnels and passageways going past them as they went. Guards fell without a fight from Karson's assault weapon and Hunter's well placed arrows. They finally reached the area where they broke into a tunnel where water gushed out. It looked like where the citadel got its water from. The passageways looked old, like they had been there for hundreds of years. Maybe this was a relic of conflicts passed. Spyro didn't know. He clutched to his injured leg and followed the other two closely. They moved through the water filled passage until they reached the grated exit point, light flowing in from the rising sun outside.

Karson kneeled down while Hunter chanted a soft incantation before kicking the grate open. The grate fell into the water with a splash and flowed off. They walked out into the sunlight to where the waterway lead outwards to a small outcrop in the rocks. They had been underground apparently, but more like in the side of a mountain. Trees spanned as far as the eye could see and along the edge of the outcrop, a Marine ran up to greet them, it was Wagner.

"Spyro!" He said, running up and kneeling down.

Spyro limped forward to greet him.

"Man am I glad to see you guys! What's happened, what's-"

"No time, we've got to move!" Wagner said.

"HQ this is Red 3 we have both targets, all units commence the strike!" As he said this, a UERMC Raptor flew and hovered overhead, firing rockets from a pod on its side. The rockets streaked from the pods and towards the forest below, detonating and throwing up dirt and debris, a few trees falling. Along the edge of the mountain, to their left, Marines and Alliance Soldiers ran up alongside 3 Tanks that advanced along the path, firing into the forest as well. The trees were lit up as rounds, arrows, tank rounds and special explosive grenades the Moles had devised were thrown in.

"Let's go, let's go!" Wagner said as he ushered them all to follow.

"Make haste Spyro, we have little time to lose!" Hunter advised, placing another arrow on his bow.

"Right!" Spyro said and followed closely behind. 2 Ravens streaked overhead at fast speeds, firing missiles at targets Spyro couldn't see. More soldiers and Moles, Cheetahs, Dragons and several other creatures from the Alliance helped to hold off creatures that seemed to be all over the forest. It was a massive battle.

_"All units be advised, we have a visual confirmation of at least20,000 plus hostile infantry moving to engage you, counting at least 4 Golems in addition to their force, moving south to engage." _The radio announced.

"Copy that Command!" Wagner said back over the radio. "Things are going to get real hairy soon down here, we'd better move!" Wagner said as they ran down the ridgeline, going towards the soldiers on the ridge.

As they ran, Spyro saw Allison with Cynder and another Marine, sitting just right in front of them.

"We've got Spyro, let's move McFay!" Wagner ordered. She nodded and Spyro looked Cynder who looked at him with a saddened look. Spyro couldn't help but return the look, looking deep into her eyes before he realized they were in the middle of something huge.

"Alpha Company link up with Echo along phase line Victor, move south to meet hostiles and engage!" Wagner ordered over the radio, firing a few random shots into the trees. Several drop ships moved into the forest to where an area had been blown out. The forest exploded as the Marine Tanks fired more rounds, the loud THUDS coming from their weapons as they did so.

They kept running along the ridge, Marines linking up with them and firing short bursts into the forest. These Marines seemed more rugged and tattered then the Marines he had seen before, some of them having blood on their uniform. Some still retained the look he had been a custom too when seeing them but it was obvious they had been through a lot since he had last seen them… whenever that was.

They moved more into the forest, the tanks continuing to fire in support, bombarding the forest. Spyro looked up and saw the army that was approaching. It was massive. Creatures from all over formed a sea of enemy soldiers and in the distance, Golems, just like the one he had defeated in Warfang, dotted the horizon. Even with the Marine's advanced firepower and weapons, this was a lopsided fight.

"Let's go, get to the LZ!" The soldiers said as they ran with them, drop ships landing on the ridge to get the soldiers out of there and even the tanks.

_"Those Golems are moving pretty fast, ETA to hostile engagement 20 minutes. Golems maybe in 10, they're moving pretty fast"_ The radio squawked with chatter as Ravens streaked overhead, leaving trails from their exhaust. Spyro wished he could help them, but his arm was still hurting.

_"I got 'em, I got 'em."_ A Raven flew and fired missiles which knifed through the air, small clouds of smoke with a mix of orange light indicating a clean hit. They kept moving and they reached the clearing, Orcs and grublins trying to rush them, Marines keeping them back with rifle fire. Cheetahs that were with them fired arrows which smashed into the enemies with great efficiency. Warriors slashed with swords, cutting them down and even a fireball or two from dragons that were with them blasted the creatures that were fast approaching.

"Our ride's here, let's get going!" A Marine said as a Sparrowhawk landed, along with two Nighthawks.

"Spyro, come on!" Karson said as they got on the Sparrowhawk. He and Cynder looked at each other before trotting into the troop bay of the Sparrowhawk. The Dragons flapped their wings and took flight and the soldiers fired their rifles even from the troop bay. The other Alliance soldiers boarded the Nighthawks and they flared their engines to kick off from the ground and get airborne. Their Sparrow did the same, its rotor powered engine sputtering and causing the ship to shudder a bit before taking off into the sky. As the helicopter flew over the trees, Spyro saw the enemy army once again. It was just massive.

The drop ships flew away from the mountain and forests, clearing a shoreline and flying over open water. They had been near the ocean… but just where were they?

_"Oh yeah, lots of enemy hostiles out there, counting over 20,000 now."_

_ "All units be advised, the Targets are airborne and are on the move."_

_ "Copy that HQ, retreating."_

_ "All units this is a priority one message, The Dark Master is on approach and closing fast to Rally Point Charley. ETA to arrival, 3 minutes, everyone get out of there now."_

_ "This is HQ Bravo, are things clear for the Party Crasher?"_

_ "Negative, negative, exfil teams have not reached the minimum safe distance. Stand by."_

_ "Standing by."_

_ "This is team Echo, we've reached minimum safe distance."_

_ "Team Bravo, we're outside minimum safe distance."_

_ "This is Charley, we're out of the minimum safe distance and out of here."_

"This is Alpha, we've reached minimum safe distance, we're clear." Wagner said, adding to the already crowded radio channels.

_"Copy, all units are away. Green light on the party crasher, I repeat, green light."_

_ "Copy that, ETA to Party Crasher, immediate."_

Spyro kept wondering what the hell they were referring to by the "Party Crasher". He kept watching out the back of the open troop bay, looking for what it was. Suddenly a projectile streaked above them, soaring at speeds Spyro didn't think were possible. It closed the distance between them and the mountain, flying even farther and towards the enemy army. One of their missiles? Just one? He didn't think it'd…

Suddenly Spyro was blinded. The missile had detonated, but it produced a blinding light which filled the troop bay. Spyro grunted as the light was immense and a loud BANG filled his ears. A massive shockwave hit the shit and caused it to shutter but the drop ship stayed it's course and continued to fly. As the light dimmed, a mushroom cloud grew over the area where the mountain and army had once been. The shockwave reached the water and created an enormous wave, the small islands around the shoreline being consumed in the huge wall of water. The mushroom cloud was larger then anything he had ever seen! Was that the explosion? It was huge! The entire peninsula where they had been was now buried under debris and clouds that came from the massive explosion. The Marines cheered and hollered.

_"We got them, all hostiles eliminated. We're returning to base."_ Wagner placed a hand on Spyro's shoulder and Hunter stood nearby.

"We've been looking for you two for a long time now." Wagner said.

"You have?"

"Yes, a long while. We've looked for you two in every place we could think of. You two have a habit of disappearing…" Hunter commented.

"How long has it been? What's happened with Dale? Warfang? How has the war been going?" Spyro asked. Cynder remained silent.

"Spyro, Cynder, we've got a lot to catch you up on…"

End of Chapter 28


	29. Back to Square One

Part 6: The Long Struggle

Chapter 29: Back to Square One

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

May 14, 2204

1022 Hours

Landing Zone Bravo, Dragon City of Warfang

Dust cleared from the small concrete pad as the helicopter landed, the massive rotors stirring up whatever dirt had been on the pad before they landed. The troop bay lowered and the soldiers slowly exited, Spyro and Cynder doing the same afterwards. The air was cold, oddly so since this was Summer time now here in the Realms.

All around the pad there were crates filled with supplies, soldiers walking around and other civilians of Warfang carrying supplies to and from the pad. Another drop ship landed nearby, the bay opening and being filled with more crates of food and water as opposed to soldiers. Moles came out of the bay and carried the crates and barrels out, putting them on the pad.

The sky was cloudy, an eerie grey in fact. The buildings around the landing site were cracked and battered, as if a large battle had just ended. Some had small fires here and there, small pillars of smoke coming up from areas farther off. Debris littered the street and there didn't seem to be much effort to clean up the pieces. Things seemed to be frantic.

"They hit us hard." Spyro heard Wagner say as he walked up, throwing Spyro out of his trance.

"What happened since we were gone? Just how long have we been gone?" He asked.

"You've been gone for a few months, 3 I think. I lost track a while ago." He replied, removing his helmet and scratching his head. He finally put his helmet back on and sighed, ushering him and Cynder to follow him as he walked. Karson and Allison came in behind, as did Hunter.

"We did our best at Dale, but without you two we could only last so long." He stated, walking towards the New Dragon Temple. As they walked, Spyro saw several injured Marines and Alliance Soldiers being cared for by the civilians there, mainly moles.

"In fact we would have never noticed you two disappearing. We have Sparx to thank for seeing you two fly into the water. It wasn't long after that Ape ships picked you up and sailed out to sea, our fighters not being able to track them down."

"Sparx?"

"Yeah. He followed you guys out to see for miles before coming to alert us. We did what we could to locate you guys but we had to defend Dale. Dale lasted a while actually. We managed to keep them back, giving us time to get all the civilians we could out. But then…"

"Then…?"

"Then the Dark Master came, plowing through our forces. Not even the last minute arrival or the Dragon Guardians could turn the tide. He just… he ended the battle." Spyro could see by Wagner's expressions that he had seen some stuff back there… things he knew the Human Commander wasn't comfortable recalling. He'd seen the Dark Master's strength before… he didn't need to think too hard to imagine just how horrific it must've been.

"Needless to say, Dale fell within hours. We retreated south and managed to gather here in Warfang, along with other key settlements along the shore. It's our last line of defense against the Dark Master's forces."

"He hasn't attacked since then?"

"Oh no, he's attacked alright… " Karson added as he walked behind him.

"Yeah, they breached the wall too." Allison said.

"They breached the wall within a day or two of their siege, then started carving their way into the city." Wagner said as they walked more. Spyro could see the evidence of the battle all around.

"What stopped them?"

"They lost momentum for some reason. Every night of their siege we saw some sort of bright light in the sky, tormenting the attackers I guess. Taking the chance we managed to fight back, but we've only managed to stop their advance."

"They control at least a good quarter of the city, and are taunting us by just walking around…" Hunter said with malice in his voice.

"For some reason the main assault force withdrew overnight, and now we've just got enemy soldiers walking around the occupied city, sometimes even into our front lines. Now its just skirmishes here and there."

"We've got to get them out of the city then…" Spyro said with a low growl.

"I'm afraid it isn't that easy." Wagner said, ushering them inside the tower that held the temple above them as they reached it.

"What do you mean?" Spyro asked.

"These guys are dug in pretty good…" Karson said, walking inside.

"We've got your friends out there right now, patrolling the city. We're trying to keep them out of the main parts of the city while we found you guys." Allison threw in.

"They're in the main city?"

"Yep."

"Then I need to go help them." Spyro said, turning around.

"Hold on there purple boy." Allison said, blocking him.

"The Colonel wants to speak to you before you do anything else." Karson said, ushering him with his hand. Spyro turned around and followed once more. Cynder, having not said a word since they got back together at the citadel, walked past them with a solemn look.

"Cynder?" Spyro asked. She made no response.

They went on, climbing up the tower and ascending to the temple on the roof of the tower. Spyro looked out over the city, seeing parts of the city on fire. He sighed sadly as they entered through the gardens, a wind causing the trees to sway and leaves to fly through the pathways. They walked towards where the statues were that guarded the entryway into the new dragon temple. The dark hallways looked different from the well and sunlit halls Spyro had left months before.

Cheetahs, Dragons, Moles, several creatures were cleaning up pieces of wall or ceiling that had collapsed earlier. He sighed as he continued walking, looking around at the temple now. They entered an open room, Wagner ushering them in. A table was inside the room with charts and maps of the entire Dragon Peninsula. Warfang, the burned lands and other locations dotted the map, writing being scribbled in a language Spyro didn't quite understand too well.

There were even older charts and graphs that the Dragons and Moles had used before Malefor did all this. In front of the maps stood Human soldiers and other Alliance soldiers. These, however, looked of a more senior rank. The cheetahs and larger anthros in the group looked older and more of a command status. The Humans standing there had two silver bars on their helmet, as opposing to Wagner's single bar. There were also soldiers there with what he thought were leaves on their helmets made out of silver and gold. Was a weird way to express a rank… Though he assumed they must've been more important because of that. Though the most important man in the room was of course Colonel Dyke. The Colonel's rank was shown by a metal carving of what Spyro assumed was an eagle with a circle in the middle. They appeared to be in a debate at the moment.

"Major Howards, need I remind you, the Dark Forces control that section and can overpower any armored column we send through there…"

"But Colonel, if we can retake that square, we can deploy soldiers in all directions and retake that section."

"You forget that those Grenadier Patrols can take out one of your armored behemoths with their magic, especially in such tight spaces as these passageways."

"Those new drones can take out a whole damned platoon in a single shot. Scouts say they infest that street. They know we need that square."

"Colonel, sir." Karson saluted the Human commander and Dyke looked up from the charts, seeing his new guests. He smiled and set his helmet aside, returning the salute.

"At ease Private, Spyro, please, join us! Cynder too!" Spyro and Cynder came forward and the others in the room looked with delight and some in either awe or with an unimpressed look.

As they approached, Spyro saw something that caught him completely by surprise. Next to Dyke stood a Lakador! They looked as if they were completely comfortable with one another! Spyro entered a combative stance but was quickly waved down by Dyke.

"No need to be alarmed Spyro. They are not our enemy." Dyke said.

"It is true. Greetings, I am Supreme Commander Huvunnes. I have heard great things about you Spyro. I'm sure you are curious as to why I am here on a friendly basis. Well… the answer is simple."

Spyro tilted his head. How could it be so simple? Only a few months ago you were a very hostile enemy!

"We received orders from our command to exterminate and control any creature on this world non-lakador. So far we've not seen any real evidence to support as to why this order is justifiable. We are a race of honor and virtue Spyro, I hope we can show that. We do not condone such acts of horrific violence. If we die in honorable combat, it shall be for a noble reason. Not something trivial… So, we garnered a truce with your species and these Humans. They are not our enemy. This Dark Master, he is a true enemy."

Spyro still felt really confused. Dyke, sensing this, changed the topic immediately.

"We finally managed to track you two down. It took quite an undertaking for our units to get you out of that citadel. It was one of their most heavily defended fortresses."

"Thanks for getting us out of there, we're sorry for making you have to go out of your way to get us…"

"Well the important thing is that you two are back here and we suffered minimal casualties retrieving you. We took them entirely by surprise and our tactical nuke both took out their base and at least 40,000 of their soldiers."

"40,000? That's a lot!" Spyro replied, hearing the numbers.

"They were just chump change. Since you two disappeared, the Dark Master has mustered a fighting force that just rolled over our small battalion of soldiers. We lost Dale, and they crushed our firebase and supply lines in Mandobar, forcing us all the way back to Warfang. Now, they even broke through the wall and control a significant part of the city. They even have a few costal areas under control. Things are just a mess…" Spyro sighed. The situation seemed just really hopeless. Though, that's how it was when Cynder was in control, and the Dark Master the last time. Victory wasn't an impossible thing.

"What can I do to help?" Spyro asked. Dyke took a note book and flipped through it before pointing to a spot in the city.

"Your friends volunteered for street patrols in this section of the city. For now we're bottlenecked between the Dark Master's forces and our Frigate can hardly provide any support, we're bone dry on shells for our guns and due to no fuel, we've had to put it down in another location. So for now we're stuck in this city and all I can really suggest you do is help patrol the streets for now until we can come up with a plan. Link up with your friends in this section and help them root out any enemy soldiers wandering to close to our lines."

"I'll do my best!" Spyro said before turning. Cynder didn't budge much, standing near the table still.

"Cynder? Are you alright?" He asked, seeing this.

She didn't respond.

"Cynder?"

"Huh? Oh! I'm fine, I just don't feel too good…" Cynder said, snapping out of what looked like a trance.

"Stay here then, you could probably use some rest after what we just went through back there…" She merely nodded, walking off right after that. Spyro frowned. He hated seeing her like this, and he wanted to help. Problem was, he didn't know what to do or why she was like this. Well, he needed to help his friends out in the city. Sighing, he turned and trotted out of the Command Room and down the hall. He was in such deep thought that he almost ran headlong into Terrador.

"Young dragon, it is good to see you again!" He said, almost scaring Spyro.

"Oh hey Terrador. The Human Commander told me about what's happened."

"Yes… Malefor's forces dealt us a blow they did… even we guardians couldn't turn the tide of the battle back there. None of us could. The Dark Master himself destroyed what defenses we had left and now they're taunting us…"

"Yeah…"

"Come young dragon, you look as if there is something plaguing your mind." Terrador outstretched his wing to offer Spyro to follow him. Spyro smiled and nodded, following the Earth Guardian. They walked into the main part of the temple, where the statue of Malefor stood. The cloudy sky sat above them, casting a dull and lowly state over the room.

"What is on your mind?" Terrador asked as they walked into the massive dojo.

"Well… it's Cynder."

"Ah…" Terrador merely chuckled.

"Ever since we left the citadel… she's been acting down… like she's really sad about something."

"Young dragon, a girl's heart is a very confusing place indeed. Was there anything that occurred during your stay in the citadel that might have provoked this kind of behavior?"

"Well… while we were there we were forced to fight one another. I became Dark Spyro and I must've hurt her in that state… When I came back to my senses, she morphed to her own corrupted side and her tail blade injured me." He raised his injured leg up, the wound scabbing over, but still showing signs of being fresh. He had almost forgotten about it, the pain being not something he was concerned about.

"I see…"

"I don't know what's gotten her so down."

"Well young dragon, I can tell that ever since this entire ordeal started, you two have grown close. You two share a bond most dragons do not. You've endured things together which have brought you two just as so. I cannot say for sure but she's a young teenage dragoness. At this age, you will constantly be bombarded will feelings of pain and sadness, for your young bodies are still growing up. Though I could tell she is shaken up about something. I will speak to her for now. You go and find your friends within the city. They could probably use your help."

With that Terrador walked off back out of the dojo. Spyro turned and walked onwards, passing Soldiers of all races sitting and resting. Naturally, Spyro noted that the Marines and Lakadors occupied opposite sides of the dojo, staying clear of one another. Their command might be welcoming of this truce, but their foot soldiers sure seemed very unfit to this truce. Spyro wasn't surprised. Two former enemies now asked to fight alongside each other? It would be a very daunting task…

Spyro passed them and went to the balcony that stretched out over towards the city. The once calm city of dragons was now looking very grim. Fires were widespread and a depressing scene of grey cast itself over the once mighty city.

Spyro flapped his wings and soared off of the balcony, sailing down to the city below. He flew over the destroyed buildings, fallen debris and motor. He looked at the barren landscape beyond and the depressing destruction that dotted his vision. Lowering his altitude he flapped his wings and set down on one of the streets. A few carts lay scattered around and an eerie calm settled over the street. An uneaten apple rolled on the ground, the once beautiful tan stones used to construct the city now held a grey tone. Boulders from artillery bombardments littered the streets. It wasn't a pretty sight.

Hearing something Spyro walked along the street and saw a pile of debris set up, blocking the entire street. The barricade was reinforced with boards and other stone to keep enemies out. Human Marines sat upon the hill of rubble, keeping a lookout. Spyro must've been at the front lines. He trotted over to them, almost scaring them. They kept looking out though even as he leapt over them and continued onwards. This caught them by surprise.

"Hey, I hope you know that this is the front lines kid! There ain't anybody to protect you beyond here!" A soldier said. Spyro merely looked at him, looking him dead in the eye. The look that Spyro gave him caused the soldier to shut his mouth and lie back down on the rubble where he had been before. Spyro turned and kept going into the streets. That calm returned once more, keeping Spyro on his toes.

He walked some more into the destroyed city, seeing more Marines. It must've been a patrol. The group was no larger then 5 and they had packs of food that they must've scrounged from a destroyed food market. Were things that desperate? Scrounging for food now? Spyro knew he had to change things, for the betterment of his fellow dragons.

The soldiers took cover behind a fallen rock and their leader waved his soldiers forward and they left the cover and crossed the road, heading the opposite direction Spyro was going and heading back to the front. As they passed Spyro merely looked then turned to trot onwards. He walked for a while, seeing nothing. There was the occasional puddle of blood or group of scattered spent shell casings littering the ground, a reminder of the heavy conflict and bloodshed spent in defense of their species.

Spyro found that the road ahead of him was blocked off by a fallen tower. He looked around and saw an opening in a blown out building. He walked over and used his paw to move a board blocking the improvised entrance. He slipped into the structure and fumbled a bit over fallen rock and debris before coming into the heavily damaged interior. Judging from the design of the furniture inside the rooms that this was the residence of Dragons.

He walked into what would have been a den. The ceiling was half collapsed, debris crushing furniture and smoke from dust in the room. Looking around Spyro was something. He walked over to the side of the room and saw something sticking out of the rubble. He grabbed it with his muzzle and dragged it out. He dropped it when realizing what it was.

It was the leg bone to an adult dragon.

The creature perished under the fallen rubble. Though… the puddle of dried crimson blood leading to the site of the body indicated the creature might have been mortally wounded before being crushed.

Frowning he left the den, going to what would have been a bedroom. A nest built for a young dragon sat in the corner, partially crushed under a fallen support beam from the ceiling. Spyro saw something that made his gut wrench.

There, in the corner, sat two sets of dragon skeletons. One belonged to an adult female, a mother. The second, was a young dragon, held dearly in the arms of the mother. Blood sat beneath their skeletons and covered the broken and damaged wooden floor. The smell of long decayed flesh filled the air. The absolute genocide against the dragon race… it was sickening. It made Spyro feel a knot in his stomach. He should have been there… he should have! Damn it this family was dead! Brutally murdered in their home!

Shaking his head Spyro trotted into a hallway and saw that part of the wall had collapsed, a passageway onto the street. He took it and turned, taking a look back at the destroyed home and sighed. He walked outside into the gloomy streets and felt a raindrop. The dark skies churned a bit, a light sprinkle starting. He trotted off once more, walking off in the streets again.

Spyro noticed that now skeletons sat in the streets. Some belonged to dragons, moles, cheetahs, Lakadors, even Human Marines with blood stained uniforms and cracked armor still on them. Fresh bodies were on the ground too. Grublins, Orcs, and several new species from other regions of the Realms, Soldiers of the Dark Master.

A burning chassis of a Marine Cougar vehicle sat nearby, evidence of a recent skirmish. Spyro looked at the fire. The fire danced with a resilience, sparks and embers floating from it, giving the destructive force a sense of beauty and awe.

Spyro was taken from his daydreaming with a nearby THUD. The sound came from down the street and it sounded as if a skirmish was erupting nearby. He dashed off into the thick smoke coming from fallen buildings as the light pitter patter of rain started to coat the city.

He trotted to where a dead Orc was, blood seeping from its body. A mist of rain settled as Spyro walked slowly through, looking around for anybody. He walked under an archway and looked out over a courtyard. The trees that had once been standing in the courtyard were battered, only one standing. The others had fallen over and there was even a hole punched in the ground from an artillery round.

Suddenly, out of the mist, an enemy soldier materialized and walked towards where Spyro was. Spyro was hidden under a large shadow cast from the archway and the soldier looked on edge. He held his sword out of its sheath and stopped as he glanced around.

Spyro slowly came out of his hiding place and ran over to the blind side of the soldier's vision. Rain plastered itself all around and Spyro slowly crept up on the unsuspecting creature. The soldier turned rapidly, just in time to see Spyro. Spyro snarled and leapt onto the creature full force. The soldier was knocked over and Spyro aimed for the throat with one decisive strike. Blood mixed in with the rain water on the street and Spyro stood up and off the fallen creature. Spitting the crimson liquid from his mouth and washing it out with rain water. Walking away from the body Spyro heard a sudden sound and saw an arrow streak through the mist of water in front of him and strike the ground in front of him. The arrow snapped and a piece of wood got in-between his scales and he felt a bit of pain as a result.

Looking through the mist several more enemy soldiers materialized from the mist and rushed Spyro. Growling, he dashed at them, accepting their challenge. He smashed into the lead soldier, using him as a buffer between the others. He tossed him into a wooden support post and a pile of unsupported rubble fell a top the soldier. The others swung their swords at him, rain water splashing on their weapons and causing sheen to appear on the blades.

One Orc swung at Spyro. Spyro rolled to the side and the blade got lodged in a broken piece of rock. Spyro used his tail to knock the soldier back and took great advantage of the rain water as he rolled into a damaged yet dry building and shot electricity into the air, causing a large explosion of force. The electricity arced in the rain water and shocked the soldiers before him for at least a few seconds. Finally, they fall down, lifeless.

Spyro walked back out into the rain, looking through the mist. He saw the sheets of rain falling from the dark sky now, the cold wind slapping against him and feeling it sink deep to his bones. He trotted off once more, climbing a top a fallen wooden beam to walk along the damaged frames of the buildings along the street. It wasn't the best vantage point but at least he could see down into the street and over wreckage.

As he reached a courtyard he climbed onto the roof of a building and used it to get a full view of the courtyard from above. Walking along the wet stone and brick he saw figures in the courtyard below. They were more Orcs. They walked inside the opening and scavenged the bodies of dead Dragons that lied in the street. Grunting, Spyro leapt down after firing a volley of ice shards. The ice flew through the air and connected with one Orc, sending it down into the water, ice sticking out of its chest.

The others looked up in time for Spyro to grab one of them and fling them into a wall. Another reached for its sword just in time for Spyro to shatter it with his tail and slam the creature into the ground. The last one who had been scavenging roared out and grabbed Spyro's tail, sending him into the ground. Spyro grabbed the creature who held him and sent him into the ground as well. The group of Orcs growled and got back up, coming up to Spyro who growled but then stopped as he felt the ground shake.

The Orcs snarled and approached him. Spyro grunted and lashed his tail out, encasing it in ice and forming spikes in his tail. As they fell over with holes in their armor, a nearby building exploded outwards, a large troll pulling itself through and rumbling into the courtyard. Spyro leapt back as it crushed the area he had just occupied. Rain splattered over the creature's green fur coat and it snarled as it stared him down.

Spyro grunted and unleashed a ball of fire that streaked at the troll. The ball smashed into the troll and steam rose off its coat. It didn't even faze him. Spyro dashed off and regained his spot a top the building overlooking the courtyard as the Troll smashed the ground he had stood on once more.

The Troll swung again, hitting the building Spyro sat on. Spyro leapt off and rolled on the ground as the creature howled and approached. Spyro growled, baring his teeth in the rain. Before the Troll could strike again however, a beam of energy hit its chest. Looking, Spyro saw a large white dragon fly into the courtyard and hit the Troll with another beam of energy.

A few more dragons and creatures took position in the courtyard. They were his friends. Tom, Roxy, Krypto, Aaron and Zephyr all raced in and attacked the Troll, Spyro smiling and adding to the fray with his own beams of energy.

Krypto threw the creature into a building and it finally died and hit the ground motionless.

"Spyro! You alright?" Aaron said as he ran over.

"Just fine, yeah." Spyro said, brushing off some debris from his arm.

"C'mon you guys, this rain is getting harder, let's find some place dry!" Roxy said, ushering them towards an open building nearby. They nodded and went inside, Krypto managing to fit through the small archway. The loud pitter patter of rain echoed through the vaulted ceiling of the room they occupied, a mist from the outside rain coming inside.

"Good to see you Spyro!" Roxy said, hugging they purple dragon.

"Hey Roxy! How've you guys been?" He asked.

"Getting our tail kicked by the Dark Master. Other than that, great!" Aaron added.

"Just about." Zephyr said.

"Yeah… Dyke told me about what happened." Spyro said.

"Where's Cynder?" Tom asked, noticing her lack of presence.

"She stayed back at the Temple, she didn't feel well."

"Aww… poor thing. I bet not, after you two got captured and all." Roxy said.

Spyro smiled weakly. Normally he'd shrug it off but… something just wasn't right. The best way to say it was that he was worried about Cynder. Though… he just didn't know. For now, he'd just have to do what he came out here to do.

"So how's your patrol going?" Spyro finally asked.

"Great, if you consider we whipped out at least 10 enemy patrols." Aaron joked.

"10? How many of those guys are out here?" Spyro asked.

"A lot, I think that'll give you an idea." Tom said with a bit of a smirk, flexing his paws as he stood watch.

"Guess they really did breach then…"

"Breach? That's putting it mildly." Krypto said.

"Just how bad were things while I was gone?"

"Bad. Those guys kicked our butts. They drove us all the way back to Warfang before we could even blink."

"Right now we're just making sure they don't do that again. They stopped for some reason. They could have just punched all the way into Warfang and taken us out all the way to the coast." Aaron said.

"Don't jinx it…" Roxy added.

"Well we've got Spyro and Cynder back! No way they can win now. Right?" They all turned to Spyro. Spyro lifted an eyebrow to this.

"Well… I can fight them, I cant promise a win."

"Well then we'll make sure it's a win." Roxy said while placing her sword on her back.

"Let's get back to the temple, the rain's letting up." Tom said.

Nodding, they walked out of their protective structure and ventured through the wet streets as the rain had diminished to a drizzle by now, barely drenching them.

"I hate this rain… it's getting my wings soaked…" Zephyr said while they went. Zephyr, having wings that were made out of feathers and not wing skin like the others, water would be problematic.

"I dunno, I kinda like it." Roxy said as she went along.

Spyro looked up and saw the upper part of the city. The upper portions of Warfang was almost like a second city wall. The last bastion of their Alliance almost… especially now that they had been pushed back so far.

"What about the other settlements, how're they faring?" Spyro asked, remembering that Dyke said their forces had been pushed to all along the coast line.

"They're doing alright, at least for now. Since their forces withdrew a month or so ago, the coastline has been the only safe place. We cant really go past it or else we'd be overwhelmed by the enemy armies. We still don't know where they're all coming from." Aaron explained.

"Ah…"

"Well now that you're back, we'll kick their tails!" Aaron proclaimed. Spyro wished he could share the black dragon's enthusiasm but right now, Spyro wondered how they were going to recover from their very torn status. He had pulled a victory out of nothing it seemed before with Cynder and Malefor, why was this time any different?

They passed a squad of Marines walking into the area, all with their weapons at ease and they just walked without much of a purpose in the opposite direction.

"Hey there Sergeant, how's your patrol?" Aaron asked.

"As good as it'll ever be. Those freak faces haven't gotten to our check point yet, not goin to let them now." The lead Marine responded, Aaron nodded.

The Marines passed them up and they went down to where a pile of rubble was, Soldiers both Alliance and Human stood guard over it. They passed into the check point and after going through it took off towards the tower in the center of the city. It wasn't long before they finally reached the tower, heading inside and up to the Temple.

In the Dojo, they saw more and more creatures inside, talking and conversing with one another. A light drizzle fell through the opening in the roof to the Dojo, the statue of Malefor presuming over the creatures within.

While the others walked off to separate rooms and hallways within the temple, Spyro trotted off onto the Balcony that overlooked the city. The same depressing sea of burned buildings sat before Spyro, and it wasn't all to different then when he stood there a few hours ago. Looking to the sides he saw the coastline running in each direction. He saw small settlements running along the sides for a few miles, each with an obvious line of defense as the Dark Armies no doubtably attempted to breach all the way to the Ocean.

For now, it was just another day. Spyro felt like he stood in front of the entire world and they were ready to pounce. This was going to be a very hard struggle, but one he had to fight. He had to put the Dark Master down for good.

Turning, he went back into the dojo, rain falling from the opening overhead, making the entire dojo one wet scene. He walked down the halls and into an area where there were several rooms. He saw that his friends had taken up residence in these rooms, each having their own. There was one at the end of the hallway that Spyro entered to see Cynder, staring out over the city through a window inside the room.

"Cynder?" Spyro asked, walking inside and next to her. Her head shot over to him as if he startled her, and a faint smile crept onto her face.

"Hey Spyro… I was just looking at the city…"

"I see…" He sat down next to her and looked out over the city too.

"How'd the patrol go?" She asked.

"Alright, it's like they said, the dark forces have parts of the city under their control."

"Ah… I can't believe we were beaten like that…"

"Well we weren't here to help… There wasn't anything we could do…"

"I know…"

"How're you feeling?"

"Oh me? Fine… I'm just thinking…"

"About what?"

"Well… about what Malefor said to me back at the citadel…"

Spyro looked at her.

"Malefor?"

"Yes… he told me that he never really took control of me… that he just gave me the power and it consumed me, making me who I was… I was never under his control."

"Cynder…"

"I've done such horrible things… and I've told myself that it was because I was under the Dark Master's control… but I wasn't… I did ALL those horrible things…"

"Cynder, we all do things we're not proud of. We all do things and sometimes they aren't what we wish or things we'd regret. You're not like that anymore, you're a better person, I know you."

"But Spyro, back in that arena, I felt that power again… it felt so great! I just, I just couldn't resist it anymore… I craved the power."

"That doesn't make you a bad person Cynder. Look… We all crave things… and the power that Malefor gave you, it was just too tempting to give up… that's all… it doesn't make you a horrible person for it."

"But Spyro… I could have really hurt you back there…"

"Don't worry about it. You won't ever do that, I trust you." She looked up at him.

Spyro smiled back, warmly. She smiled too and looked down at the floor for a bit before looking back at him.

"Thanks Spyro… just… thank you…"

Spyro chuckled.

"It's no problem." There was a long period of silence after this, almost like a vial coming over the room. Cynder finally broke the silence, them still standing by the window.

"Well I guess we have some work to do then, right?" She asked, looking at him.

"Yeah… I did my patrol out into the city. It's a mess out there. I want to see how the coastal areas are holding up. I was going to head out there maybe tomorrow in the morning."

"I'll come with you then." She said. Spyro smiled and nodded as he walked over and sat on the bed. Cynder joined him on the bed and he smiled, and looked out to the window again. He would go to the coastal areas now, but it seemed that storm wouldn't let him go anywhere. For now, he'd just sit in the room with Cynder, though he personally didn't object to it at all. She curled up with him and their tails intertwined, sparking a blush from both dragons. She retracted her tail but Spyro's insisted and she remained where she was. They smiled at each other and lied down, taking a nice afternoon nap together.

End of Chapter 29


	30. A Day at the Beach

Chapter 30: A Day at the Beach

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

May 15, 2204

0823 Hours

Outskirts of Warfang

The sun broke through the dark grey clouds that had occupied the sky above Warfang for just a bit. This bit had been long enough, however, for Spyro and the others to take off towards the coastline. The fresh sea air slapped against the group as they flew onwards to the beach areas of the Peninsulas. The group hadn't been there since they first retreated to Warfang and now Spyro wanted to see how they were doing.

They wouldn't be getting any help from their Human or Lakador comrades though, as all of them were on full coverage of Warfang. They barely had enough numbers to cover the city. They couldn't even spare Karson, Allison or even Wagner to help them if they ran into trouble along the coast. Dyke did say one thing though, that the coast was likely still under their control and it was heavily populated by refugees from surrounding settlements attacked or by natives protected by local soldiers and warriors.

The sky was a brilliant blue as they sailed onwards, the clouds only extending over the inner portions of the mainland. Turning around, Spyro saw the orange clouds rising from the partially collapsed volcano within the burned lands. On the horizon he saw two opposing beams of purple spitting into the sky, creating the vast cloud cover that covered the entire mainland. 2 Keys down, 2 to go.

They neared the coast and finally the group touched down on a sandy beach just south of Warfang along a cove. Fresh blue Ocean waters hit against the beach and the sun shined upon then. At least here, it didn't look like the world was ending- yet.

"Ah the beach… I haven't been here in a while…" Roxy said as she dipped her tail into the water, her being in her dragon form.

"I haven't seen the beach before, I just lived up in Tall Plains. There are no beaches there…" Zephyr said.

"Sucks for you." Aaron teased.

Zephyr huffed and ran into the water, smiling as he felt it against himself.

"Oh it does feel nice…" He said.

"See? It does!" Roxy said as she ran into the waters and splashed it onto Spyro and Cynder. Cynder giggled a bit and Spyro smirked.

"C'mon… there's time for play later." He said.

"Oh you're such a kill joy…" Roxy said.

Spyro smirked at this more.

"Where are we going anyway?" Aaron asked as he walked over.

"Dyke asked if while we're out here we could check on his 2nd Battalion, which is supposed to be guarding their ship, the Typhus. He said they're in charge of supplying the soldiers in Warfang with food and ammo."

"And where would that be?" Roxy said as she changed to her Human form and walking back onto the beach.

"Well, he said it was along the coastline. Guess it's too large to miss." Spyro said.

"There it is." Cynder said, motioning to the large Frigate landed along the fringes of the coastline, a few drop ships going to and from it.

"Well I vote we walk there, I want to check out the local surf!" Aaron said.

"We're not here to play…" Spyro said.

"Ah come on Spyro, at least enjoy this place while we're here."

Spyro merely sighed.

They started off, Tom taking up their rear and Krypto seeming to lack any comment. They walked along the coast, the sandy cove running along a small cliff about a few meters high, trees and foliage atop it and overlooking the entire beach. They walked underneath a rocky arch and onto more of the beach, seeing not much other then the coast. The cool and relaxing waters splashed against the sand and Zephyr kept wading in the water alongside the group rather then on the beach.

"Doesn't seem to be any enemies here…" Aaron said as he looked around.

"My sword isn't doing anything, so yeah. This place is peaceful." Roxy added.

They walked until they ran out of beach and headed back inland through a footpath as the cliff face leveled out with the sand. The grass swayed as they walked into the wooded area, a cool sea breeze flowing through. Both sides of the path were overlooked by that familiar cliff face, trees and foliage also accompanying them along the sides of the path.

A waterfall was up ahead, falling from the cliff to their right and the river running right through their path. A bridge was built over it and they crossed, taking in the sights more.

"Man this place is so beautiful." Roxy said.

"I wish I'd have come here more often…" Aaron said.

Krypto huffed.

"I don't like water… it gets my fur wet…" Tom said as he trailed behind the group a bit.

"I hardly knew this place existed." Cynder said.

"Me either." Aaron added.

Spyro looked around more as they walked, seeing the trees that towered over them. Soon they came to an opening in the cliff path they'd been following. Before them sat an opening in the cliffs, like a crater almost. The opening was lined with cliffs on all sides, except for the side opposite of them, which was lined with tall trees. In the center was a pond, fed by several waterfalls coming in from all sides. Elevated footpaths ran all alongside the pond in the center, and wooden huts sat atop the large land areas.

Locals walked around care free, the dominant species being a squirrel anthro. They were just larger then the moles but almost the same height. They were blue in color however, opposed to brown fur and wore more traditional clothing. The smell of food flowed from some of the huts and Aaron sniffed the air, liking what he smelled.

"Well we didn't have to look far to find the locals." Zephyr said.

"Let's go see how they're doing." Spyro said as he lead the group towards the collection of huts. They entered the village without much of the locals noticing them. They continued on with what they were doing, some children passing in front of them, playing. The locals didn't even notice that some wanders had come into their village. They didn't seem to have a leader, or at least one they could tell.

"I feel so awkward…" Roxy said and frowned.

"So what… we just walk up to a random person and ask how they're doing?" Zephyr inquired, tilting his head.

"I guess..?" Aaron said.

"Well obviously, they're fine. If not they'd be running around getting killed by those Grublins or Orcs." Krypto added. He seemed impatient.

Spyro sighed.

"Oh you're new." A voice said. They turned and saw one of the squirrels addressing him as she set down a basket of fruit.

"Yeah, we were just checking to see if this village had been having trouble with the Dark Armies." Spyro asked.

"Oh… them? No… they haven't bothered us. At least not yet. You don't have to worry about us." She said as she cleaned her hands. Obviously she had just finished picking fruit for her family or for the village since it was so small.

"I see." Spyro said.

"I wanna go swimming again…" Zephyr said in a low voice, Spyro putting on a glum frown as he heard this.

"Though we could use some help finding Thomas." The squirrel said, rubbing her chin.

"Thomas?"

"Yeah. He's one of our villagers. He went out to gather herbs and hasn't come back in an hour or so. We're not worried, but he sometimes forgets things. If you see him, could you remind him to pick the libaith herbs this time?"

"Alright. Are there any other settlements along the coast?" Spyro asked.

"Oh, there are a lot of us down here. Well… not us… but well, you get the idea." She chuckled a bit, Spyro and Cynder doing so as well.

"Where are these settlements, are they close?" Cynder asked, it being one of the first times she had talked on this trip.

"Oh just follow the path! You'll get there in no time, and probably run into Thomas along the way."

"Alright, thanks!" Spyro said, motioning for the rest to follow as they left the village in the opposite way they came, a path leading alongside a creek with trees in another area with cliffs running along both sides of the path.

They walked for a few minutes before the path changed into a more open forest, the rocky cliffs vanishing behind palm trees, sandy areas and small, yet empty, individual huts scattered throughout the forest.

"Very lovely…" Roxy commented. Tom broke off from the group somewhat, walking in the steam alongside. His feet must've been getting a little hot. Zephyr joined him, well, when the water got deep enough to swim in. Then Aaron. Spyro smirked and Cynder giggled as the two swam in the water, Tom having already gotten out and huffing at the two playing in the water.

"Come on you two…" Spyro said.

"I dunno, looks fun." Cynder said. It wasn't long before she herself leapt into the water and they swam alongside the group as the creek became a river.

Spyro shook his head as they stopped for a minute.

"Come on, just join us for a second Spyro!"

"Yeah!" Aaron splashed him. "It's fun!"

"I don't think it's a good idea too-" Spyro felt something grab him and realized it was Cynder's tail. He felt himself being dragged into the water and he was swallowed into the waters. He emerged and coughed a bit, looking at Cynder with an annoyed look. She merely stuck her tongue out at him.

"Fine…" Spyro said before using his wing to splash the group.

"Ah! Cheater!" Aaron said before dunking under and pulling Spyro under. Spyro got free and used his fire breath to create a thick layer of steam around them.

"I can't see anything…" Zephyr said.

"That's the idea." Cynder said, laughing a bit.

Aaron yelped as he felt himself dunked under. Cynder laughed, as did Zephyr. However, they both too went under the water and Spyro emerged, laughing as he got out of the water.

The three emerged from the water coughing bit.

"No fair…" Aaron said.

"Come on…" Spyro said, motioning for them to continue.

The other three got out of the water, Roxy giggling at them. Krypto merely huffed. They walked along the pathway again, over a few more bridges and found themselves at the beach again.

"Maybe it's a sign…" Roxy said.

"For… what?" Spyro asked hesitantly.

"I dunno, to go in the water again silly." She joked. The others chuckled a bit but they continued along the beach. Things were really quaint along the shores, seeming a world away from the events just less than a mile inland.

They walked along the now larger beach, passing large megaliths that littered the beach, stone structures that rose from the sand and temples that sat along the shore.

"Wonder who built all these?" Aaron asked as they walked inside one of them, leaping from one spot to another as the floor was cracked and water eroded through the cracks, turning them into larger cracks over time.

"No clue… They seem to be here for a purpose though…" Cynder said as she also leapt over the cracks, passing through an opening and onto the sandy beach again. Spyro followed right after her, a few more structures perched along the beach just down from them.

"Looks like an ancient port city maybe. Hard to tell." Spyro said as he looked at them.

"From before the time of the Dark Master?" Roxy asked.

"Probably." Spyro answered. The temples lacked the usual portrayal of the Dark Master as an almighty being, rather, there weren't any at all on their surface.

"Hey, look at this!" Aaron said.

They all went to where he was, seeing a statue poking out of the sand. The statue was of a dragon, like them, but he had armor on and looked as if he was ready for battle. This statue was very different from the ones Spyro was used to seeing all inside Warfang. This dragon was younger, around his age, younger then that possibly. His armor also looked unusual. Honestly, it reminded him of the Marine's armor mixed with Dragon Armor. Whoever it was, his image was everywhere on these temples now that Spyro looked around more.

"There's an inscription…" Aaron said, uncovering sand and looking below towards the writing.

"Troy…" Zephyr said as he looked at it with Aaron.

"Troy?" Roxy asked. "Who is that?"

"No clue… guess some sorta legend around here?" Aaron said with an inquisitive look.

"Obviously if they built _this _many temples to him out here…" Cynder said.

"Ignitus never mentioned him, or the Chronicler." Spyro said as he looked at the statue.

"Maybe he's a hero from WAY before the Dark Master, so far not many remember him much anymore."

"Probably. Well we should go then, this place kind of feels strange." Spyro said, looking around again.

"Yeah… it kinda does." Cynder said as well.

The group left the area and Aaron looked at Krypto as they walked.

"You know, you haven't said much in a while." He said to him.

"What is there to say?"

"Well… just throw in a comment once in a while I guess…"

Krypto cocked an eyebrow.

"I mean, you're part of this group, and we hardly know much about you other than your name and where you came from. What's your story exactly?" He asked. Spyro turned his head, interested in hearing this as well.

"Well… not much to say… I am the last of my kind. A Draxy. I've been constantly battling the Emperor and his forces, as well as those Humans. And now I ended up here."

"Wow, guess it's really bad there then?" Zephyr asked.

"Bad doesn't even come close." He said.

"Well, problems only get worse unless you want to talk about them." Roxy said to him.

Krypto stopped and frowned.

"They're not so much problems as they are memories…" Krypto said.

The others stopped as well.

"Care to share? It'll only help to talk about them." Aaron suggested.

Krypto thought for a second but shook his head.

"Later." He said.

He walked off ahead of the others and they gave each other a few looks before going on after him. They walked on more before Roxy let out a yawn as she stretched, snapping the others out of the drab of walking on the beach for what seemed like forever.

The yawn also strangely reminded Spyro that he was supposed to find that squirrel… Thomas was his name. They hadn't run across him yet, maybe he had already returned to his village. After a minute or two of walking Roxy noticed her sword was glowing. That wasn't good… Enemies were nearby.

"Guys!" She said, motioning to her sword as she drew it. The others saw this and were on their guard immediately. There was nothing. After a few minutes of walking through the sand with their guard up Spyro finally took a breath in and looked around calmly. The beach was empty besides them.

Roxy lowered her sword too.

"Guess… it was just a false alarm…" She said as she looked at her still glowing sword.

"Yeah… false…" Aaron said.

At that moment a claw burst from the sand and grabbed Aaron, exciting a yelp from the black dragon.

"Aaron!" Roxy yelled.

The claw belonged to a large crab which emerged from the sand, snapping its other hand at the group.

"Stupid crab!" Zephyr said as he used his teeth to bite the arm. This only pissed the crab off more.

"A little help would be nice!" Aaron said as the crab flailed him around.

"On it!" Spyro said as he used his ice to cut through the crab's arm, dislodging it and causing the creature to back away. Krypto growled and used his tail to smash the creature into the cliff wall nearby.

Aaron grunted as he got himself out of the crab's pincers, rubbing his side.

"Ow…" He said lowly. Roxy giggled. He sighed at this, feeling a tad embarrassed.

"Was he from the dark armies?" Cynder asked.

"I don't think so… just some random crab I guess." He said.

Shrugging it off they kept going, getting off the sandy beach as they walked onto a stone staircase that went a top the pesky cliffs that went alongside the beach. On the top there were more statues of that dragon they saw on the beach.

"Cynder, you don't even know this guy?" Aaron asked as they saw more statues.

"Well… now that I think about it, every time Gaul saw a statue that looked like this he'd smash it. In fact I think I saw a few of those statues smashed when going towards Malefor's lair the first time, remember that Spyro?"

"Somewhat. Not really too much." Spyro said. Honestly, he was really focused on defeating the Dark Master then looking at the statues along the way.

"Hey guys, I found a path inland!" Aaron said as he stood by a dirt path that lead into the thick forest near the statue. They quickly went inland, the cool sea air and breeze still hitting against them as they went into the forest.

"Wonder if there are any other villages or settlements nearby." Roxy asked, now riding on Tom's back.

"Probably." Spyro simply said. He was still trying to remind himself to look out for that squirrel, Thomas. And those flowers… damn it he already forgot the name of what the girl had told him to look for. Oh well, he had other things to worry about.

As they walked the ground still resembled a tropical area, though forest plant-life was becoming more common than the beach landscape.

"Hey, there's somebody on the path." Zephyr said, motioning to the path ahead. Sure enough, there was somebody lying in the middle of the path, as if asleep.

The group approached, and it was a squirrel from the village earlier. More than likely, it was Thomas.

"Hello? Thomas?" Spyro ased.

"Huh, what?" The Squirrel asked, waking up. "Who said my name?" He asked.

"I did. What are you doing in the middle of the path?" Spyro asked.

"Oh! Sorry." He got up. "I was on my way back to my village with herbs when these Raccoons robbed me blind. Little punks took all my stuff… so I just took a nap…"

"You were robbed…" Cynder asked.

"Yes." He answered.

"…and you took a nap instead of going for help…? She said back.

"Yeppers."

"Er… alright." She said.

"You remember what they looked like?" Spyro asked.

"They were Raccoons… they just came up out of nowhere and took my stuff. Didn't get much a look at them. Punks…" He said, yawning.

"Well… that doesn't help much…" Aaron said.

"Hey, you been to that beach back there?" Roxy asked.

"Yeah, loads of times! I nap there every Monday."

"K… but those statues there on the beach, who are they of?"

"The statues? You don't know?"

"It's why we're asking…"

"Oh… it's an old legend around the coastline, about a young dragon from long ago who beat a great evil and brought peace to the Realms. His name was Troy I think."

"Ah… from a long time ago?"

"Well, not many people know the story as well as they used to. The Dark Master's occupying army destroyed all relics related to Troy or anybody from his era and any creature who spoke of him was either tortured or killed." He explained.

"Oh my…" Roxy said, almost regretting learning that.

"He forbid the telling of the story?" Cynder asked, a bit confused.

"Yeah. Well, not _him_ but really his top Lieutenants. It was during his occupation during Cynder's rule. It stopped a few years ago because everybody had forgotten about the story. If it weren't for Warfang and its defenders, all these relics along the coast wouldn't be there."

"Strange…" Cynder thought. "I never knew of this."

"I guess he really did defeat something great then…" Spyro said.

"There is a city to the north, with other relics of him that might have survived, though Malefor destroyed that city long, long ago."

"City?"

"Yes, Mandobar."

"Mandobar? What's the city's connection with the Dark Master or Troy?"

"Mandobar was one of the major battles during the time of the Dark Master and even Troy. The city was eventually destroyed by the Dark Master but was said to have stuff related to Troy."

"Well… I don't know if the place is there anymore." Spyro said with a frown.

"Why is that?"

"Well, the Dark Master's forces moved in again and destroyed a large part of it." He explained.

"You mean… destroyed the stuff that was already destroyed… last time I checked the city was still deserted and in ruin."

"Well… yeah… it's what I meant." Spyro said. For someone who slept a lot, he sure knew his history.

Thomas yawned and stretched.

"Well… I better get back to my village, get some herbs and go to sleep again…" He said.

"Wait, can you tell us where a nearby settlement is?" Aaron asked.

The squirrel snapped around, as if already falling asleep while standing up.

"Well there's a large village to the north… through this path… a bunch of foxes live there, plus some dragons, some wolves, some lynxes… some eagles… some-"

"Alright, I think I get the picture." Aaron said, cutting him off before he went on too long.

"Thanks for the help." Spyro said.

"No prob…" Thomas said before going off down another path, well, into the brush.

"What a weird guy…" Cynder said.

"Sleepy." Aaron added.

"True…" Cynder said in reply.

They went on through the path, passing a few more waterfalls and tons of foliage as they went in search of this village. Finally they found an opening that lead to a large village in a clearing, surrounded by cliffs and trees on all sides. True to what Thomas said, Foxes, Dragons, Lynxes, Wolves and several other creatures occupied the village. Though Foxes seemed to be the dominant anthro there. They were taller then Spyro, same as the cheetahs, the only real short creatures were some moles that lived there. The Wolves and Lynxes were both anthro, the Dragons were feral, like Spyro.

"Looks peaceful enough to me!" Zephyr said.

"Well let's go see for ourselves." Spyro suggested. They went down from their high perch down into the village. Fox and Wolf Warriors walked about, showing an obvious sign this settlement was a target of attacks and raids by the Dark Armies.

As they walked into what was the market of the settlement, smells of food and freshly baked goods floated through the air, enticing the group.

"Hey, let's stop for lunch." Aaron said, feeling his stomach growl.

"We have to keep going." Spyro said. Soon he felt his own stomach growl and he blushed a bit. "Well… maybe a bit of lunch won't hurt…" He said. The others chuckled.

"Yay!" Roxy said, the rest also nodding in agreement.

Aaron approached a stand and a female Wolf stood at the stand. Pies and cakes and several treats laced with fruits or filling sat on a wall behind her. The gang could do nothing but drool.

"May I help you?" The woman asked.

"Could I have one of those pies on the wall behind you?" He asked.

"Sure, that'll be 5 Gems."

"Gems?" He asked.

"Yeah, you need money to pay for food…" She said in an annoyed voice.

"Oh…nevermind then…" He backed away. Great… _he _was broke.

"Any of you guys got money?" He asked.

"Um… no…?" Roxy replied, Zephyr shaking his head. They had none of these gemstones they needed. Spyro was so used to hunting for his food, buying food was a bit new to him.

"Well we gotta find some money…" He said.

The group thought for a minute, sitting further down the way, watching customers walk through, offer yellow gemstones to the vendors and being rewarded with all sorts of goods, ranging from food to nice new clothing to armor and weaponry. The group could do nothing but watch.

"I want something to eat so bad…" Zephyr said.

"Same…" Cynder agreed.

"Maybe… we could work for some money?" Aaron suggested.

"Good luck with that…" Krypto said.

"You're not hungry?" Aaron asked him.

"Not really, I don't eat that often." He said.

"Apparently…"

"You folks looking to get paid?" A voice asked. The group turned to find a short and elderly fox standing before them with a cane.

"Yes, could you help us?" Spyro asked.

"I got some errands I need'n to get done. You folks do 'em good, and I can spare some gems so you fellas can eat."

"Sure, what do you need us to do?" Spyro asked.

"I got some of these special herbs I need to get collected. You see I run this here pastry shop and I use them herbs to cook into my food. If you find about 6, I can spare about 5 gems each."

"That sounds easy enough! Where are these herbs located, what do they look like?" Spyro said, a bit more enthusiastic.

"They're called Libaith Herbs. You can pick 'em from the flowers that grow along the trunks of a Liban Tree. Those grow along north of 'ere. Careful though, the reason I don't make the trip is cause that whole area is infested with them mudrats. Those are nasty fellers. I'd be careful up there if I were you." He said. Spyro nodded.

"Don't worry, I'm sure they won't be a problem."

"Good luck, I'll be lookin forward to them herbs." The elder fox turned and walked off and Spyro turned back to the group.

"Well, let's go see if we can't those herbs."

"Wait, do you even know what they look like? And what's a mudrat?" Aaron asked.

"Mudrats, I think they're a territorial rat creature, lives in damp places and in the mud. They're very aggressive." Cynder said,

"I think I've seen some of those herbs before, though I think they grow high in the trees." Roxy added. She had come down this way before, for the herbs though, the beach she had never been down too. She had gotten around, she just didn't want to admit it.

"Well, we'd better hurry and get those, am getting pretty hungry…" Aaron said, rubbing his stomach.

"Well let's go then." Spyro said.

They all yawned and stretched, getting up and moving towards the edge of the village. A slight wind blew through now from the sea, bring in the air. Scents of fish and cooking meat filled their nostrils as they walked down towards the northern part of the village. Aaron moaned and grabbed his stomach at this.

"Man I hope those herbs are easy to find…" Aaron said as some of the others nodded.

"Shouldn't be too hard, I mean, how hard could these guys be?" Cynder said. They walked along the path towards the north. A few warriors stood guard over the village and they eyed them curiously as the group exited the settlement along the path.

Walking along the path, a few chirps and flickers were heard as bugs and creatures of all sorts inhabited this area. If they couldn't buy food, they could try to hunt. Well, that is, if they weren't already being hunted…

0950

Marine Base Alpha, New Dragon Temple

"Things are… well… not pretty." Dyke said as he walked alongside Terrador, Lieutenant Wagner right behind them.

"No, they are not." Terrador said.

"Alpha Company reports 3 more casualties this morning. Those Drones guarding the central courtyard ambushed a squad of Marines and Alliance soldiers guarding a road in Dog Sector." Wagner said, looking at a piece of parchment he had wrote on, in lack of paper.

"Those Drones are getting more and more clever with each day. I fear they may soon overtake us." Terrador said with a sigh.

"We still don't know where they're coming from either. The Dark Master has chosen a location up north somewhere but none of our recon teams can find them. Have your dragons located it yet?" Dyke asked.

"I'm afraid not… those wyverns are guarding the skies up north. My Dragons are having trouble going up passed those regions. Every day we lose more ground."

Wagner lowered the parchment and sighed, looking out over the balcony as they exited the dojo and walked onto the platform. This situation wasn't going to get any better unless they could do something drastic. Defenses like these would only hold them off for a bit. They needed to do something to tip the balance. Though right now, such a thing was almost impossible to foresee. He trusted in Spyro, but right now, he wondered just how good their odds were.

"We know their base is somewhere up north, passed the Plains of Mandobar. We just don't know where." Dyke said with a bit of a sigh.

"The Dark Master… we've been at war with his forces for as long as I can remember." Terrador said in a low voice.

"Has he always been evil?" Dyke asked.

"No. I have heard stories of when he was young. When he was… good. Like Spyro he was an aspiring young dragon who always did what was right and helped whoever he could. Then… he changed. He became power hungry. The Guardians soon banished him from the temple and Dragon Kingdom as he kept pursuing power at any cost." Terrador explained.

"I see…" Dyke said, rubbing his chin.

"And nobody knows what caused him to change?" Wagner asked.

"I'm afraid not. Some say the power got to him. Others say that he was hiding it the whole time. We may never know."

Wagner thought on this for a minute. It seemed very obvious the reasons. The purple dragon, as they had explained to him, was able to master ALL the elements rather then one. He was sure after a while, the power can go to one's head. What worried him was Spyro. Could Spyro keep that much power under lock and key? Could he control himself? Power has had a way of corrupting even the most noble of people in his experience. It was a sad truth.

Part of him told him to be cautious. The other? Well it trusted Spyro very much so. Something just told him Spyro knew what he was doing. He was said to be the Dragon to bring hope back to the people of this desolate land. Maybe he was the one to finally put an end to this. Footsteps were heard behind them and they turned to find Rithul and Huvunnes walking behind them. The Lakador Supreme Commander looked very stressed. He didn't blame him.

The Lakador commander sighed as he approached the two, Rithul having his usual serious look about him.

"Where are Spyro and Cynder?" Rithul asked.

"Out along the coastline, patrolling." Terrador said.

Rithul looked at them for a second before sighing and looking out.

"There isn't much time left." He said as he looked out.

"And our supplies are beginning to run low too." Huvunnes said.

"Same with us." Dyke said.

"If they don't kill us, we'll starve to death…" Wagner said with a frown.

"Exactly… a good warrior has patience… I just prey we have enough to make it through this…" Terrador said softly. The others nodded.

Karson helped Allison into the room, leading her to a small bed they had been given by the Dragons. Delta and Epsilon got the cushy hospital beds taken from the Typhus and Achilles. At least Alpha Company was allowed to stay in the temple, it was a lot cooler in there then in the other parts of the base.

Allison smiled as he helped her, her leg being a little bruised from a combat run into the city.

"Thanks…"

"No problem."

She giggled and he smiled, sitting down next to her.

"How's your leg?"

"It's feeling better, just need to stay off of it for a while." She said while placing it on the bed. Karson placed his weapon next to him and helped her a bit more and she smiled, thanking him again. He blushed slightly, smiling and nodding.

"Where's Wagner at?" She asked.

"Meeting with the Colonel, he said we won't have another patrol for a while, maybe a day or so." Karson explained.

"Ah… then I guess we have all this time to kill…" She said.

"Yeah, I better go check if Spyro and Cynder are back." He said while standing up. She frowned and looked at him.

"You just don't want to talk? Or… something?" She asked. Karson turned, thinking for a second before smiling.

"Sure, guess we can…" He sat down next to her. It kinda made him feel embarrassed. They had known each other for years now, since childhood. And now, after years of being best friends the thought of talking slipped his mind? The thought almost made him blush. Though I mean, why did it affect him really? She was a good friend, but they were in a combat situation, they had to be vigilant. Though… it was Allison, he had to make her feel comfortable. He just… had to. He didn't really know how to put it.

He sat down on the bed next to her, shifting a bit as he felt a little uneasy, but at the same time at ease. It was hard to explain. She smiled and placed a hand next to his on the bed. He smiled too and used his other hand to rub the back of his head.

"So… things are strange aren't they?" She asked almost in a chuckle.

"Strange? How so?" He asked, smirking.

"Well I mean, just… all of this…" She said, looking at her hands.

"A war with a hostile alien race, being transported to an alien world of talking anthropomorphic animals and creatures with a war against creatures of darkness…"

"Having these powers…" Karson added. She nodded.

"This'd make one hell of a science fiction novel." She said with a low chuckle.

"Probably, nobody would believe this at all." Karson said, returning the chuckle.

"Honestly, I don't know if this is even unbelievable anymore, I mean, a war with aliens, that's already borderline crazy…" She said.

"I think it is. No need for borderline."

"True…"

"It's funny to think right now the rest of Humanity is going through their day, some not even knowing of the Lakadors, and here we are, in an alien world battling for the fate of everything." Karson said.

"Yeah… I will never understand that."

"Understand what?"

"This whole 'destroy the world' mentality. It just makes no sense…"

"This world makes no sense; it'd be picky to want one thing or another to make sense."

She giggled at this. He chuckled and smiled. It was then that he looked down and noticed that he had moved his hand over hers and she held his tightly. She realized this too and they both looked up at each other, blushing before turning away. Though none of them moved their hands from the spot. They both sat there, interlocked. Karson continued to sit there and he turned and tried his best to put a smile on his face. Allison did the same.

They both sat there in the dim light that floated through the room from the window along the side, their hands still interlocked. For a moment they forgot about the war, about the struggles and tribulations. Their world consisted only of that small room, and their hands… their hands that were touching and connecting. None of them protested or moved. They remained that way for the rest of the day.

End of Chapter 30


	31. A Helping Hand

Chapter 31: A Helping Hand

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

May 5, 2204

1156 Hours

Swampy Outcrop

"Ew… this stuff is dripping from the trees…" Aaron said as he lifted his foot from the muck, bring up a whole assortment of various colored leaves and mud that made some of them a little sick to their stomach.

"Anyone still want lunch?" Zephyr asked with a slightly amused smirk.

"I think I lost my appetite a long time ago…" Cynder said, scowling at the mud they had to walk through. The entire area around them was a swamp. Trees extended to over at least 30 to 40 feet into the air, and the entire area had a green and grey tone to it. Steam hung in the air, casting shadows across them.

Spyro had to agree with them. The place sucked. At least they were heading north still, and if luck was kind to them, they were close to those trees with the Libaith Herbs. They moved through slowly, their feet continuing to get stuck in the mud. Krypto was having the hardest time, his weight sinking him in every time he took a step.

"I've only been here 30 minutes…" He said. "And I already hate this swamp." The others agreed.

"Come on, just a little further… I think…" Spyro said. After a few more minutes of their slopping in the muck, they finally reached solid ground. A path went out in front of them, surrounded by water and flooded swamp on all sides. They walked on the narrow pathway, it feeling a little more comfortable as the smell wasn't as bad there, just making you cringe instead of wanting to send your breakfast all over the ground- that is, if they had remembered to eat breakfast.

As they walked on the solid ground, Roxy looked around as she saw the water glowing. Tom saw it too and nudged her.

"Roxy, your sword." He said. She looked down and sure enough, it was glowing brightly.

"Guys!" She said as she drew it. The others looked and put their guard up as the water rippled farther down.

"Come on, we're sitting ducks on this path!" Spyro said, ushering the group to move to a solid piece of ground ahead of them. As they ran, they saw figures digging out of the ground and emerging into the light.

The creatures were hairy rats, their eyes sealed, possibly from living underground. They had a whip-like tail and they were covered in dirt. They flexed their claws and sniffed the air, catching their scent and hissing.

"Those are probably the Mudrats…" Cynder said, skidding to a stop next to Spyro.

"We have to get through them, come on guys!" He said, leading a charge towards them. The others ran with, Krypto flapping his wings and soaring above them since the canopy above them allowed him to fly.

The Mudrats heard them and charged too, flexing their claws as more climbed down from the trees.

Spyro was the first to contact, knocking a rat into the water with his horns. The others hit, one slapping Cynder with its tail and another rolling to the side and leaping onto Aaron. Aaron bit its leg but this did nothing as more grabbed onto Aaron and took him into the water along the path.

"Aaron!" Roxy said as she avoided one and stabbed another with her sword.

"I've got him." Krypto said as he dove into the water, the water proving to be deep enough for him to go in, and that was saying something. More rats piled onto the small path they occupied, leaping onto them and scratching them.

"Damn these guys!" Zephyr said as he had one on his back and another biting his arm. He tossed one into the water and tossed the other down, biting it with his fangs in the neck. Cynder used her claws and laced them with her poison, clawing at the rats and giving them a nice little gift to go with it. The poisoned rats hissed and cringed, some retreating while others collapsed on the spot. Spyro kicked 2 away while clearing the path for them, using electricity to spark the moist air in front of him, creating a large CRACK of electric current that flowed through all the rats in front of them.

Krypto burst from the water and landed on the ground ahead of them, holding Aaron in his arms, Aaron coughing and covered in the swamp water. The group ran towards them as Krypto released him and breathed fire at more mudrats, causing them to retreat into the swamp.

"You alright?" Roxy said while she ran up to him.

"Yeah…" He coughed as he panted from being underwater. "I'm fine…" He kept coughing, some water coming out as he had obviously inhaled some.

"Maybe we should stop a bit." Spyro suggested, walking up.

"No, let's keep going, those guys'll be back if we don't keep moving…" Aaron said.

"He's right." Cynder said.

"Those rats knew this place was a good ambush spot… they are smarter then we think…" Tom added.

"Then let's go before they come back." Spyro said, ushering them to continue onwards. The group did so, Aaron shaking his body to clean it from the water on him.

They ran off through the swamp, the dark murky trees around them creating a depressing scene as they walked onwards, leaves fluttering through and more movement seen through the trees.

"Those things are following us…" Zephyr said as they ran.

"Spyro?" Krypto asked, wanting to know if he should attack them.

"No, no, keep going, we're sitting ducks here like on the land bridge." He said, trying to find some solid ground to fight on if they attacked.

"Look, there's some grass up ahead!" Cynder said, pointing to an area up ahead. They moved to it quickly and noticed that the area had abruptly changed. The swamp was still present, but the grass was greener here and a hill moved to another part of the forest or bog or whatever it was now.

They walked onward through the grass, the air still murky but the ground being solid and the plant life being more abundant.

"We must be close to it now, these plants are-" Spyro stopped midsentence and looked out over the path.

"What is it Spyro? See something?" Cynder asked, looking too. Then she saw it too.

There, in the path, sat a small anthro squirrel.

"Thomas?" Spyro asked, approaching the creature.

"Huh, what?" He popped up, obviously sleeping.

"What is with this guy…" Tom said in a gruff voice.

"…What are you doing here…?" Spyro asked.

"Oh… hey guys. I was just looking for some Libaith and I decided to take a little nap…"

"Um… ok?" Cynder asked, a confused look on her.

"The Mudrats don't bother you?" Roxy asked.

"Obviously not… or he'd be chopped meat by now…" Krypto threw in.

"Nah… those cuddly things?"

"Cuddly?" Aaron asked, almost infuriated.

"Just kidding… nah, they don't bother me." He said.

"Well, maybe you could help us, we're looking for Libaith too." Spyro said.

"Really? I know where they are."

"Yeah, that's why I'm asking…"

"Oh, well I could help you out."

"Where are they?"

"They're just down this path, towards the Libath trees! C'mon I'll show you!" Thomas began a sprint into the dark trees.

"Wait up!" Spyro said, darting after him. The others ran right behind, trying to keep up. After a few minutes they entered an open area with trees surrounding the entire area. 3 Large trees sat in front of them, fruits hanging from long vines, each glowing a bright orange. The entire area was illuminated by their light, even through the trees were enormous, taller than the original dragon temple that Spyro remembered. They were about… maybe 30-50 feet high. Flowers grew along the upper parts of the trunks.

"It's the libath tree…" Thomas said, in front of them.

"What are those fruits?" Cynder asked.

"Those are the Libaith fruit. It's said that if you eat one, you will be granted powers only chosen for the ancestors themselves… but the fruits don't work for everyone." They all looked up at the fruits that were above them, almost the size of one of their heads. They looked amazing… but they were here for the flowers.

"Well let's get those Herbs and get out of here." Spyro said.

"I got it!" Thomas said while running to the base of the tree and trying to climb its enormously wide tree trunk. Leaves fluttered through the scene, with the orange light from the fruits and from the other parts of the forest creating a scene of awe, of majesty.

"It's beautiful…" Cynder said while looking at the fruits from afar. Spyro nodded in agreement.

"I wonder what they taste like…" Aaron said, licking his lips.

"Aaron." Cynder said, sort of hushing him.

"What? I'm hungry." He said with a smirk.

As Roxy looked up at the squirrel climbing the tree, she felt something and looked down to see her sword giving off its signature glow. Movement was seen all throughout the trees as the others saw it too.

"Mudrats again…" Krypto said as he looked around. Spyro turned and saw them as well, growling a bit. Though they kept their distance for some reason as they stood in the clearing, the only sounds other then their feet shuffling in the grass being the birds chirping in the distance. The wind blew through softly and made them feel a bit more uneasy as they continued to see the rats in the distance.

"What're they waiting for…" Aaron said under his breath.

"You guys scared of a few rats?" Thomas said from up high on the trunk, nearing the herbs.

"Hey forget you man!" Aaron called back up. Thomas chuckled and kept climbing, almost there.

"I'm fixing to just shoot an arrow to those damn rats…" Roxy said while getting her bow and arrows out, aiming out towards the rats in the distance.

"I hope you guys are having as much fun as I am…" Thomas said right before grabbing onto one of the herbs.

As he grabbed the flowers, the rats sprung into action, darting through the brush and plant life and into the clearing, darting at them with incredible speed. Other creatures joined them, a few large beetles and frogs from the swamp, all coming at them.

"Great!" Zephyr said before flapping his wings and pushing some back with his wind abilities. Roxy fired her arrow the first chance she got, Cynder buried herself into the ground with her shadow abilities and Aaron and Spyro immediately fired beams of energy at the oncoming creatures. Krypto flapped his wings to gain elevation and charged headlong into the oncoming rats, crushing some on impact.

As the rats and other creatures drew closer, Cynder burst forth from the ground and tossed many of them into the air, perfect targets for Spyro's lightning attack and Aaron fired beams of acute dark energy that pierced through the rats and killed many on contact. Roxy fired her arrows like a precision rifle, replacing each she fired almost immediately and firing it off, only to replace it with another. Krypto flapped his wings and swatted at any of the creatures that got close, cutting through their numbers. Tom leaped to the side and roared as he slammed into three of the rats, tossing them aside and biting them fiercely.

Spyro was about to attack a rat when a large piece of the tree smashed a crowd of oncoming rats. Spyro looked up and saw that it had fallen from a part of the trunk that Thomas was climbing.

"Sorry! My bad!" He yelled from above, retrieving more of the herbs from the flowers around, filling a pack.

"Hurry!" Cynder yelled.

"Yeah, yeah I got it!" He yelled, putting the last herb into his sack, closing it up. "Finished!" He yelled down to them. Spyro nodded, unleashing a fire onto another group of rats assaulting them. Krypto stood in their way and slashed them with his tail, creating a buffer between them and the rats. Thomas began his climb back down, almost slipping a bit as the others retreated near the base of the tree because more of those rats were on their way. Thomas landed on the ground and dusted himself off casually. The others around him fended off the rats and were struggling just to do that.

"You guys ready to go?" He asked casually.

"Oh let me think for a second, YES!" Aaron yelled as he spat balls of dark energy at a rat and another creature.

They made a run for the opposite side of the clearing, a gully that lead out to another area of the forest.

"Why are these guys so bent on attacking?" Zephyr asked as he dashed with them.

"They view the Libaith Herbs as sacred to them somehow, it makes them a little angry when someone tries to pick them!" Thomas stated.

"Oh you think?" Aaron retorted back.

"I think they passed angry a while ago!" Cynder said as well.

"Keep going, head for the gully!" Spyro said, ushering them towards the gulley.

"Way ahead of you!" Roxy said.

"Quickly, they're on our tail!" Tom said.

Krypto skidded and unleashed a jet of fire at the rats right behind them as they ran. The rats let out a shriek as they burned, Krypto letting out an un-amused huff and rejoining the gang.

They dashed into the gully, it being about twice as wide as Krypto and surrounded by trees on all sides. The gully went downhill, and it seemed to be heading back towards the village but they hoped that it didn't go back into the swamp. These trees were way too tall to try and fly over as well. They continued to run through until the slope became too steep for them to keep a foothold on. Krypto was the first to slip, because of his larger weight and stature. He tried to take flight but the canopy above him was too short. He collided with the others and they tumbled down the steep slope.

"Holy shit!" Zephyr yelled out.

"Hang on!" Cynder yelled as well as they fell.

They hit the ground with a thud.

"Everyone alright…?" Spyro asked. Moans answered him, as well as grunts.

"Stupid rats…" Aaron said as he coughed and got up.

"Got that right…" Roxy responded.

"Someone's on my tail…" Krypto said very sternly.

"Uh… sorry about that…" Spyro grunted and got off his tail, getting to his feet and shaking off the fall. Everyone else got up as well.

"Where's Thomas?" Spyro asked.

"I thought he was with us." Cynder said, looking around. Thomas wasn't with the group.

"Where'd that little bastard run off to now…" Roxy said.

They suddenly heard muffled sounds from under Kryto.

"Get this thing off of me…" They could barely make out. The group chuckled as Krypto got up and revealed Thomas underneath him, gasping for air.

"Get a little squished there?" Aaron laughed.

"Are the herbs ok?" Spyro asked.

"Yeah… got 'em right here…" Thomas held up his bag with the herbs in them. He joined in the laughter as Cynder helped him up and they started back towards the village.

They arrived at the village sometime later, having no trouble at all finding the old man.

"I sees you have returned! Have you brought them Libaiths?" He asked.

"We sure did!" Aaron said cheerfully his stomach reminding him why he went through all that.

"Well let me see them there herbs…" Thomas presented his sack and the old man looked inside.

"Yes… yes this is perfect!" He said. He reached into his jacket that he wore over his shirt and produced about 30 of those yellow gemstones.

"As promised! Here is yer pay…" He handed them their money and Spyro had trouble holding it so he gave them to Roxy. Roxy smiled and placed all 30 into her backpack.

"Now I know who to call if'n I need someone to get me more of them Libaith. Good day to ya!" He said while walking off. The others turned to Roxy who smiled and got out some of the gems.

"Well, time to eat!" She said. The others cheered. It wasn't long before they had gotten their food and sat down on a group of tables near the center of the village. Others from the village were eating there too and they all sat around a single table, eating their food. Spyro chewed on a sheep's leg while Cynder had some bird meat. Aaron and Zephyr had both gotten soup, well Aaron ordered more than the soup, he had also gotten some lamb, and Tom and Roxy had both gotten some meat with some vegetables. Krypto had gotten an entire lamb, which cost them 10 gemstones. They only had maybe 5 gems left, but they weren't complaining.

Thomas sat with them too, eating a bit he bought with his own gemstones.

"Weren't you going back to your village?" Zephyr asked as they ate.

"Eh, I've been there hundreds of times, I want to explore more around here." He said, taking a bite.

"Thanks for helping us with those herbs." Spyro said.

"Hey no problem! Needed to find some more anyway. I'll take the rest that I have to my village once I'm done here." He said, patting a second bag of herbs he had.

"There any more settlements along the coast between here and the cove?" Spyro asked.

"Well there's a Wolves' den to the West, and to the South there's this strange new metal fortress that has sprung up." Thomas said, pointing towards the Frigate down by the shore that they could barely see through the treetops.

"Oh yeah, that's the Human Frigate." Cynder said.

"The Human what?" Thomas asked, a little confused. The others chuckled at this.

"We'll explain later." Spyro finally said.

Aaron chuckled a bit more and took another sip of his soup, enjoying it fully. He heard someone talking from another table. He knew it was rude to listen in on other people's conversations but he just couldn't help himself…

"Those blasted 'coons took more from the storage house last night…" One villager said.

"They stole a few pieces of my wood last night, I caught them too but they got away." Another said in reply.

"I can't believe those little bastards have taken so much and we can't find their blasted hide out."

"They're a band of thieves! I can't believe our Village Warrior Chief cannot locate their lair!"

The two villagers got up and walked away. Aaron thought for a bit but returned to his food.

They ate a bit more before a panic caught their attention. It was hard not to…

"Help! Help! Somebody stole my egg!" A large pink female dragon lumbered into the scene, panting. All their heads turned to the large female dragon who was panting. A few got up but Spyro was already getting out of his seat.

"Did you see who it was?" Spyro asked, trotting over, the others groaning and following.

"It was this hooded man… inside a turban! There he goes!" She pointed to a figure a few feet taller than Spyro wearing a large blue turban that covered his body head to toe. His eyes and menacing yet almost comical smile was only visible, as well as the dragon egg he so firmly held onto in his hands. He laughed and taunted the group in a very childlike manner, and the group didn't know whether to laugh, or be offended.

He dashed off with great speed into the crowd. Spyro ran after, urging the others to as well.

"Well I guess I was already full…" Aaron said as he dashed off with the others, Thomas sleepily going as well. The crowd got out of the way willingly as the thief ran off along some catwalks that were suspended between hills surrounding the main town square. The huts were beginning to be made more of stone now and some almost castle-like as they entered the main hub of the village. Spyro glided over a gap in a broken bridge. The others following just as well and the thief, by some miracle or by some innate ability to defy the laws of physics and gravity, leapt across the gap without even a slight hesitation or sign of trouble and landed safely in front of Spyro and the group.

"What is with this guy?" Aaron said as he flapped his wings to get in front of Spyro and the others, Zephyr and Cynder doing the same. Spyro continued on his foot path, skidding as they came to the town square again. There was a fountain in the middle and buildings surrounded the area. He looked around and finally spotted the thief again. He taunted in his usual manner and laughed, covering his mouth a big as if to stifle a laugh. Spyro growled and gave chase again, Cynder and Aaron landing on the buildings on either side of the thief and trying to flank him.

Zephyr, Roxy, Tom and Krypto had gone another path, a road that went around in an almost C hook to get ahead of the thief. Spyro continued to chase him by foot on the direct path, gaining speed and almost catching up. The thief though was fast! Almost unbelievably so! Finally Aaron and Cynder leapt down and cut off the thief, who turned and ran down an alleyway.

"Damn it!" Cynder yelled. Spyro skidded and turned almost on a dime in his hot pursuit. The thief disappeared around a corner and Spyro did another dime like turn to find the adjacent alleyway empty. He panted for a second and gave an inquisitive look to the alleyway, almost as if to ask it where he had gone. The childlike taunting was still audible, so he knew he was close. Cynder and Aaron stood behind him, panting too. The others had lost track of the group by now and had probably gotten lost in the streets.

Spyro finally growled and ran into the alleyway, the sides flanked by buildings on one side and a large stone wall on the other. Spyro stopped as the sound was at its peak, almost like the thief was standing right in front of him. Spyro thought for a second before grunting and kicking the wall to his right. The wall caved in- a breakaway section. On the other side the thief sat in a hole. He was in a dead end.

Spyro tackled the thief and he grunted with an audible "oof!" as Spyro landed on top of him. Aaron walked over and took the egg from him.

"I'll just take that…" He said with a huff.

The thief just growled at them, Spyro STILL not being able to see through the shadow made by the turban. The hole the thief sat in seemed like a little hide out. There were shelves of food there, some other items Spyro presumed were stolen and some more yellow gemstones. There were also some more eggs stashed in a crate nearby.

"Looks like you hit the jackpot Spyro." Cynder said with a smile as Spyro inspected the crate while still on top the thief.

At this point, the others arrived with some guards who arrived at the hole.

"Oh shit, looks like you got him." Zephyr said, walking up.

"This little bandit has terrorized the town for some time…" One of the Guards said while walking up. Spyro got off and the Guards quickly binded his hands in chains and walked off with him.

"Oh my egg!" The female dragoness said as she walked up and Aaron handed her the egg with a smile.

"No problem ma'am." Spyro said, the others nodding.

"Oh but I should give you something at least!" She thought for a minute before reaching into her sack she had on her side and producing a small green orb gemstone. The orb had two golden rings on it, both ran in an X pattern and encircled the gemstone. It shone with brilliance and they looked at in awe.

"It's an orb!" She said.

"An orb?" Spyro asked as he took it and held it in his hands.

"Yes! You can either sell it or keep it. It's a good luck charm and can help you find your way sometimes. Just a little thing I found out while walking and it's really all I can give."

"You didn't have to give us anything, we're just happy to help."

"Oh but I insist!"

"Well thank you."

The dragon smiled in approval as Spyro nodded and they began to walk back, the others joining them finally and looked tired from running.

"Man, we missed the party…" Zephyr said.

"Can we finish lunch now?" Aaron asked.

"Sure…" Spyro said. The others chuckled.

It was midday before they set out again, traveling along a forest path outside of the village. Leaves fluttered as storm clouds hovered overhead and a calm sea wind blew through. The air had a slight chill to it, surprising since they were so close to the ocean. It was obvious these were aftereffects of the two unlocked keys further north, changing the weather. Regardless, they kept walking along the path leaving the village. Thomas was tagging along with them, much to Aaron's dismay.

The path was rugged, having both the regular dirt and partial road quality as cracked grey pricks indicated a former paved pathway that they walked on. The trees and growth got more dense as they traveled inland more, but to the west. Thomas had spoken of a Wolves' Den just to the northwest of the village and Spyro wanted to check it out at least before heading south to the Human Frigate.

They walked past a few temples and ancient structures in the forest, the trees reclaiming its lost land as the stone crumbled and cracked before nature. Vines and plants outstretched onto the old path as they walked, a scene of both ancient architecture and nature being created.

It wasn't long before some of the structures were becoming metal. Large metal pylons and structures rose from the dirt and the dense overgrowth, hiding secrets lost from time. Spyro noticed that there were two distinct design characteristics to the metal structures though.

One seemed very different from what he was used to. Angular, more robust and definitely built a long time ago. The other design seemed to mimic the older, but was a bit more to what Spyro deemed 'familiar'. Though this was just slight, not a whole lot. The 'newer' design seemed to have its own appeal but resembled the other greatly, as if it took inspiration from it. Spyro wondered if these architects were from the previous Age, before them. He recalled when Rithul and Diablo both spoke of the Final Solution having been used twice in the past. He wondered if the first design was made by those who lived in that first age, and if the 'newer' design was from the second. It would seem logical, and then all the stone structures were from his age. Though it was hard to tell since according to Malefor, the Chronicler, Rithul and Diablo, the Great Cleansing had reset the weapon and this world. There could have been countless generations and ages between himself and the last 'great age' or usage of the Final Solution.

The area ahead of them seemed to be very dense jungle and the pylon structures sticking out of the ground seemed to lead back to the beach. The wolves' den was to the northwest, so going to the beach wasn't going to get them anywhere. They'd have to punch through the dense overgrowth.

"How far away is this den?" Cynder asked, almost reading Spyro's thoughts.

"Oh it's just through this overgrowth! It's not too far!" Thomas said while walking towards the brush. They walked too, and stopped before it. The path was smaller than their tail width.

"And… we're supposed to get through this how…?" Cynder asked.

"We could just fly…" Aaron suggested.

"Or do this." As Krypto said this he used his large paws like a machete and cut through the forest and the switched to his sharp tail blade which sliced and cut throughout the trees as he walked through slowly, cutting them a path.

"That works too!" Aaron said.

They all fell in behind Krypto as he walked along, cutting through the trees. They walked a bit before reaching a clearing, two temple structures flanking either side of their path and a large grassy field leading to a cave. This wasn't a regular cave, as it went downwards instead of just straight into the mountainside. Well… Spyro wasn't so quick to call it a mountainside either. It was more like a large, very large mound of dirt or a hill that the path went down in to. A large hole was the entrance, being more wide then tall and being large enough to fit one of the Human's drop ships in to.

Wolves and other species walked in and out of the cave being both feral and anthro. There seemed to be more feral wolves here though, which was understandable. A small guard tower sat near the entrance, wolf warriors standing inside it and around it, patrolling. Shields and swords sat against the side of the hill, many bloodied up and dirty, possibly from a recent battle. Maybe this area had been hit by the Dark Armies recently.

They walked into the cave and the darkness wasn't as bad as they thought it'd be. Krypto fit, much to his pleasure as they walked into the torch lit cave which went onwards with huts and stone structures built into the sides of the caves. Many Wolves and other creatures walked through the center cave, some buying and trading, some sitting with families or some just moving about with no absolute purpose. Deeper in it seemed that it was more for local residents then the passer bys or traders.

"So I guess we're done here? Doesn't look like this place has much in the way of problems." Aaron asked. Spyro thought for a second. Aaron was kind of right. This place didn't seem like it needed any help, they had a pretty good defense and it seemed wise to keep moving south to the Frigate along the cove. Maybe if they-

"Hello there, haven't seen too many dragons lately." A voice caused their heads to turn to the side, including Thomas's lazy head.

A feral wolf with grey fur, tanned spots on its face and beady blue eyes sat before them. The wolf had some rags along its body for some form of clothing but nothing big. It was obviously a she.

"Yeah, not many of us left…" Aaron said.

"As well as us. For some reason the Dark Master doesn't like Wolves." She said.

"He doesn't like anybody." Spyro finished for her. The wolf nodded.

"Speaking of which, have you guys seen any of his forces around?" She asked.

"No, we haven't run into any." Spyro answered.

"I see. They attacked our cave a few hours ago and headed south. It was a small band but they took something of value to our leader."

"Took what?" Cynder asked.

"A precious family heirloom to him. It has been in his family for generations. We call it a Talisman."

"What's it look like?" Spyro asked.

"It's a token with a wolf's paw and a small gemstone inside of it. We've sent many parties out to search for the Talisman but they haven't found anything…" She said in disappointment.

"We could find it for you if you like." Spyro said with a smile. The others smiled too, figuring this'd be a lot easier then the libaith mission.

"Wait hold on a minute Spyro." Aaron took his shoulder and pulled Spyro in closer.

"Listen, I know you like helping the local population but some of us are getting a little tired and we want to hurry and get back to Warfang…" He said.

Spyro looked around at the others. They looked the other way and didn't want to say anything. Spyro sighed.

"I could make it worth your while…" The wolf said, hearing part of the conversation. They all looked at her.

"I have something I could reward you guys with if you can do it." She said.

"I guess." Aaron said. Spyro nodded. Aaron sighed. Nobody listened to little old Aaron. Oh well.

"That's great! Something told me I could trust you guys!" She said.

"We'll set out at once." Spyro said.

"Thank you so much!" The Wolf said. Spyro nodded and lead the group out of the caves.

They came back to the field to find the same scene as they had seen before, wolves and other species using the roads as a crossroads going East, South and North. They'd have to head South towards the coast.

They started out down south, walking along the path the villagers were taking until they branched off to their own little houses along the sides of the road and they themselves entered a side path of their own that lead to the beach. By now the sky was a light grey, cloudy and a bit humid. The temperature was cool, very much so considering the time of year. This was probably a result of the keys. After all, that much energy being spewed into the atmosphere was bound to have effects on the weather. Go figure.

Walking along through the dense beach overgrowth the subtle sounds of gunfire were heard far off in the distance. Possibly the Marine Frigate along the cove. Whatever it was they kept walking.

About half an hour had transpired between the time they had taken off to the time they reached the end of their path. They came to an area where the path ran horizontal to them, the path dropping off to a river about several feet below. Another path ran parallel to the one they were coming on to, running along the opposite side of the river following theirs. The opposite side of that path had cliffs that ran up and then a large rocky overhang stretched out from the cliffs and created a 'roof' over the path running parallel to theirs.

They entered the path and walked south, the waters of the ocean visible farther down as trees coated the entire side of the pathway.

"Sure seems nice." Aaron stated.

"Yeah, though it's colder than it should be…" Cynder said, stating what everyone was thinking and they all nodded.

They walked south along the path and the path slowly became more rocky, and stone structures occupied the path with them. The structures were nothing more than a few pillars sticking up from the ground from where a building might have been. A few statues here and there, maybe a few fallen pieces of brick and mortar that sat around.

Sand started to cover the stones and soon they found themselves surrounded by palm trees and the sea air blowing into their nostrils. Water beat against the rocks nearby and the cool ocean waves sat just in front of them. They were at the beach again.

"Well no sign of that Talisman…" Zephyr said with a sigh. Spyro sighed too. Maybe this mission was just a waste of time...

Along the edge of the waters there sat a piece of a broken ship, the side of the wooden hull sitting along the sandy waters and someone inspecting something inside the broken hull of the ship.

"Hey, who's that?" Cynder asked.

"Probably a local villager." Spyro said, looking too.

"Well, yeah, but maybe he knows where the troops went with the Talisman!" Cynder said, nudging Spyro.

"True, let's ask him." Spyro said, motioning the others over.

They walked along the beach until they could make out the figure more. The figure stood no more then 3 feet off the ground, and had a mole-like tail. A large straw hat occupied his head and a small candle burned from atop that hat. His fur was dark and he held a cane, and they could barely make out a white mustache that sat on his face. As the figure turned around Spyro immediately recognized him.

"Mole-yair!" Spyro proclaimed, running up.

"Who?" Cynder asked, going up.

"Spyro? Is that you? How are you old friend!" Mole-yair said in a thick French accent as he lifted his hand to hear. He was obviously blind.

"How are you Mole-yair? How've things been?" Spyro asked, walking up.

"Oh they've been fine, ever since Cynder's forces and now the Dark Master's forces were defeated, we've managed to take back our own mines again."

"That's great!" Spyro said, smiling.

"Yes but I fear, the Dark Master has returned…"

"Yes, he has."

"Just as I thought. He drove us once again from our homes deep within Boyzitbig and now we're scattered all around. They've taken our mines and are using them to make their weapons of war… Before I left we found them already taking ship loads of weapons of the island and to their fortress deep in the north…"

"The north?"

"Yes, the Dark Master has retreated deep into the Valliyor Pass, far to the north. Underneath the mountains he has a metal works forge that makes all his weaponry, as does our own Volcano. They use it like they have before to craft their weapons, but on a far larger scale. I fear they do other things there too…"

"I see…"

"Yes, things are looking far worse now then before."

"That's putting it mildly." Aaron said, pointing at the Manweresmall.

"So who is this guy Spyro?" Cynder finally asked.

"Cynder, this is Mole-yair. He is the leader of the Manweresmalls who lived in Boyzitbig while you were still in power. That's where we first met…"

"I see…" She said, remembering it all too well.

"Did you say… Cynder…" Mole-yair said.

"Yes, this is Cynder! Don't worry, she's not like she used to be."

"Are you sure Spyro?"

"Yes, I am." He said, smiling to Cynder who returned it.

"Well then, I guess things have really changed." Mole-yair said as he placed his cane into the sand.

"What're you doing here?" Spyro asked.

"Just walking the beach here, trying to find any of us who also made it." He said while rubbing his cane.

"You sure they all came onto shore?" Spyro asked.

"I am confident of that." He responded. He turned and looked down the beach and held his cane for a moment, as if thinking. "Well I better get going," he said softly, "I just hope that you can find whatever you're looking for." He said.

"Thanks Mole-Yair, you too." Spyro said. He nodded and walked down the beach and disappeared into the trees.

"Who was that guy?" Aaron asked.

"An old friend." Spyro said in return.

"Well let's hurry up and find that Talisman and get to the Human ship on the coastline, am getting hungry again…" Zephyr said, saying what some of the others were thinking.

Spyro nodded and started off along the beach again, the others following right behind.

"Hey, I see something!" Roxy said and pointed out. Out far long the beach, there was a cove where there appeared to be bodies lying in the sand.

"They look like Apes…" Tom said.

"Apes…?" Spyro asked. They dashed down the beach and reached the bodies. They were Apes. They weren't the skeletons that Spyro had fought in the ruins of Old Warfang either, they were the old Apes, like what Spyro had fought in years past. They had reverted somehow…

"Looks like something nailed these guys…" Thomas said in his usual sleepy manner, stretching and picking up something in the sand.

"Hey, check this out." He said.

They turned and saw Thomas holding a token with a wolf's paw in it, as well as a gemstone.

"Hey, that's the Talisman!" Aaron said.

"Oh, it is? I didn't notice…" Thomas said, scratching his head.

"Let's take it back over to the Wolves' Den." Spyro said.

Suddenly without warning four apes dashes out of the treeline and landed all around them.

"Oh great, what now?" Aaron asked as he backpedaled at the sudden engagement.

"Give us that talisman dragon…" Their leader said as he clenched his fist.

"This thing?" Thomas asked.

"Don't give it to them Thomas!" Spyro yelled.

"It's the purple one… attack!" The leader yelled, recognizing Spyro. Immediately the apes leapt into action, charging them.

"Oh no you don't!" Roxy yelled as she brought her sword out and struck an ape down as it came headlong at her. Tom kicked an ape to the side while Spyro unleashed a jet of fire onto the apes who screamed in pain and dashed around. Their leader growled before raising a staff to fire magic at Spyro before Cynder closed her eyes, forming a tornado around the leader who was sent into the sand, grunting. The others defeated, Spyro and the gang turned to the ape leader who groaned, rubbing his head.

"What's so important about this talisman?" Spyro asked.

"You'll never understand dragon… you and your new found allies will be crushed! I'll be back… and you can be sure we'll take that talisman from you…"

"Hah! As if! We have you captured! Jokes on you!" Zephyr said.

"Foolish children." The ape simply said as he raised his staff and he vanished in an instant.

"Ok, what the hell is going on? I know you've fought these guys before, we all have. You have no idea what that talisman does for them?" Roxy turned to Spyro.

"No, I have no idea." Spyro said, shaking his head.

End of Chapter 31

[For ]

Author's Note

Wanted to point out that I did reference to raccoons a lot in these chapters and was going to introduce them in a plot point but I scrapped that idea.


	32. The Talisman

Chapter 32: The Talisman

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

May 5, 2204

1547 Hours

South of the Wolf Den

They group walked along the grassy path they had taken to get to the beach, the water still in site as they climbed up the hill that went back to the den. Spyro made note of the way the land here was so diverse for being a beach. He had never been out here before and it was a new experience for him.

"Still don't know what the Apes would want with this thing…" Aaron said as he eyed it, Thomas carrying it.

"Maybe it has to do with them having regained their… skin." Cynder added in.

"Well either way, if it's them, it can't be good." Roxy said, her arms crossed, Tom walking behind her. Krypto remained silent as always, walking in the back of the group.

They walked until they reached the top of the hill, they hearing something up ahead.

"More apes?" Aaron asked.

"No… sounds more like…"

"Dogs." Spyro finished for Cynder who looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

3 figures walked into view, each being an anthro type of dog- more like a mongrel. Each of them also wore attires that were very similar to those of pirates.

"THESE guys again?" Cynder asked, remembering them very well.

"Who?" Roxy asked.

"We encountered these guys 3 years ago… we have… fond memories." Spyro said as he watched them. Oh yes, he remembered them all too well- how they had taken him and made him fight. He remembered how he had escaped their large fleet trying to rescue Cynder. Oh yes, he remembered it all.

"So what do we do, attack them?" Zephyr asked.

"Wait a second…" Aaron said, wanting to be hesitant.

"I smell a whelpling…" One of the mongrels said, sniffing the air.

"They be close… maybe they have that talisman…" A second one said.

"They want this too? What does this thing do that's so special…?" Roxy asked.

"I hear 'em too!" The other mongrel said.

The others quickly shushed Roxy who scoffed.

Suddenly they heard a noise behind them. The group turned to see another group of mongrels in the brush with them, growling at them.

"Hey, it's the purple one! That one from the arena! Remember 'em?" One asked.

"I remember 'em! He's the one who destroyed our ship!"

"Uh oh…" Aaron said lowly.

"Get `em!" The lead mongrel drew his sword and pointed it at Spyro and the others who snapped into action, charging the group of mongrels and tackling two to the ground. Roxy sliced one down while Tom smacked the other into a tree. The third mongrel backed up a bit before growling, charging Spyro. He was blasted away with a blast of fear, causing him to panic and drop his weapon in fear.

"You owe me one." Cynder said with a smirk, Spyro only chuckled in return. The three mongrels on the trail had heard the commotion and by this time came charging into the brush.

"My turn!" Aaron said, blasting one with darkness while Zephyr taking his chance to blow the other two away with a strong gust a wind by flapping his wings.

"Those guys were easy enough." Roxy said while hilting her sword that began to glow again.

"Oh great." She said.

They all looked around before going onto the trail seeing more mongrels on the path who charged them but then all of a sudden apes charged from the bushes, running at the mongrels, swords clanging and clashing as they fought one another.

"Well, that's our cue, let's get the heck out of here!" Aaron suggested. The others nodded and headed another way.

"Not so fast…" The ape from before walked in front of them, snarling as more surrounded them. "You're not leaving this place alive purple one… nor are your friends so long as you hold the talisman. We will all keep hunting you… you can count on that. Now why don't you just hand it over…" He drew his sword at Spyro who growled.

"Dude Spyro's eaten bigger enemies then you for breakfast!" Zephyr said, the ape growling and smacking him across the face.

"Hey! Don't you touch him like that!" Roxy said.

"I'll do whatever I want until I get that talisman…"

"What's so important about it?" Cynder asked.

"It's a key to a very important door… and we cannot let you escape with it." He answered.

"No, we're going to take it and you guys can't do nothin'!" A large mongrel came in from behind, the apes having been defeated and the group was now surrounded.

"Scatter!" Spyro said, each of them shooting off into the woods except for Thomas who fumbled for a few seconds before running off as well.

"Get them!" The ape ordered.

Spyro ran through the brush, holding onto the talisman as he had taken it from Thomas. He was running south towards the Frigate as he had blown past the large ape from earlier. He had to keep running and not let them catch up. Whatever the hell it was they wanted with this thing, he couldn't let them have it. He blew through the brush and the foliage, trying to get away. Eventually he reached the edge of a cliff where off in the distance Spyro could see the pirate fleet, hovering in the air as they had been when he last remembered them.

He grunted as he spotted the Human frigate sitting just down the beach, it was so close! He could go there! He ran off towards it through the brush until he was knocked into a tree headlong. Spyro grunted and slowly got up, rubbing his head. His vision cleared enough for him to see a large dog snarling at him. It was one of the mongrel's mutts. Those things charged at unbelievable speeds and were lethal by all accounts…

Spyro shook off the impact and snarled, fire sparking in his muzzle. The dog leapt at him, Spyro managing to leap to the side and the dog smacked the tree. Spyro rolled and unleashed his fire breath onto the creature who whined, charging at him again. Spyro was clipped, getting knocked down. The dog came to a stop and turned to him. Spyro grunted before opening his muzzle and firing ice shards at the creature now.

The shards stabbed through the hide of the creature, causing it to whine and stumble before falling down the cliff side as it tumbled towards it. Spyro smirked a bit before getting punched in the side.

Spyro skidded on the ground as a few mongrels gathered around him.

"We found the runt, now get that talisman from him."

"No! The boss will want to see him first…"

"Tie him up!"

Suddenly Spyro felt himself being tied up and packed on a boat. The scenario was all too familiar to him… having gone through the same predicament 3 years ago.

Spyro awoke in the captain's quarters of a large ship, the very same he had been in 3 years ago. Sitting on a table were two birds, one pink one purple.

"Wake up foo!"

"You two again?" Spyro exclaimed, coming out of his daze. The pair was Scratch and Sniff.

"Yes, it seems we cross paths once again purple dragon, after you nearly destroyed our fleet 3 years ago."

"I should've finished it off then…"

"Quiet fool!" Sniff said.

"We must really thank you for bringing us the talisman young dragon, it made things very easy for us."

"What do you guys want with it anyway?"

"The talisman will unlock a door that will hold untold treasures… bigger then any you'll know of dragon."

"I doubt it…"

"Regardless, we know it holds the key to something very powerful. We think it might even be a weapon."

"A weapon…?"

"Yes, you heard me. With it, we can dominate the seas once again… without you dragons to stop us that is."

Spyro frowned. They must've been referring to the Final Solution. What would the talisman do? Would it unlock a door that was necessary for the weapon? If that were the case, of course the Apes would be after it. Then the Pirates? That only meant more trouble. He had to get out of here and get the talisman somehow…

"Hey, get your hands off of me you dumb dog!"

"What's this?" Scratch asked.

"We found this whelp out wandering the forests near our ships. He was with this purple one earlier…" The mongrel tightened a grip on the dragon, it being Aaron.

"Ah… so I see you've gathered a little band of friends here…" Scratch said with a smirk.

"Aaron? How'd you get captured?" Spyro asked.

"Well I couldn't let you go it alone Spyro, the others are getting ready." He winked.

"Quiet foo!" Sniff said as he landed by Aaron, extending his bat wings go emphasize his line.

"Or you'll do what pipsqueak?"

Aaron suddenly felt himself get smacked hard by the bat parrot.

"I'll do that!"

"Ow! That hurt!" Aaron said, rubbing his side.

"Enough! Take them to their cells." Scratch said.

Suddenly Aaron bit his captor who yelled, releasing him.

"Come on Spyro!" Aaron said as Spyro kicked back at his captor, some commotion going up above them.

"We have to get the talisman!" Spyro said, turning to the two bat parrots.

"Capture the prisoners!" Scratch said before he flapped his wings, flying through an open window.

"After them!" Spyro said, leaping through the window, smashing it.

Aaron went after him and they flew onto the main deck, the large ship hovering above the realms, Zephyr and Roxy already on the deck, fighting the mongrels. They leaped around, using their swords and trying to grab them but Roxy swung her sword and blew them away and off of the deck.

"After that bat thing!" Aaron said as he leapt down with Spyro, the two birds taking off towards the front of the large ship, cannons firing off as the ship rocked.

"He has the talisman?" Roxy asked.

"Yeah! We need to catch him!" Spyro said, taking flight. He flew over to the front of the ship but two scurvey wings flew in and smacked him to the ground, a beam of shadow energy hitting the creature and it flying away. Cynder flew in and flapped her wings to land near Spyro.

"You alright?" She asked.

"Yeah! What's going on?" He asked.

"We saw you get captured and we're busting you out! We'd better hurry before the apes-"

She was cut off by an explosion that rocked the boat, several darkwings flying above, dropping bombs and apes boarding the ships.

"Damn it, it's just like before! Follow me." He said, leading them to the bow of the ship, Scratch and Sniff already flying for a ship in the background, hovering over the water. Another explosion rocked the boat as tracers were seen flying up and hitting ships, damaging them.

"Looks like the Humans finally jumped into the party." Zephyr said, looking down at the Frigate still perched at the cove, its defense turrets firing up at the wooden ships.

"Why aren't its main guns firing? Those would rip these things to shreds!" Aaron asked as he saw this.

"They're probably having trouble with them, they aren't moving at all."

True to what she said, the large guns adorned on the ship remained still as the defense turrets blared up at the pirate ships as they drew towards the Frigate, firing their cannons.

Spyro growled and took off towards Scratch and Sniff as they flew off towards their large ship in the back. He flew past the massive amounts of ships as they drifted towards the Frigate, apes assaulting the ships as well but their numbers were limited. Cynder, Aaron and Zephyr took off to aid Spyro, Roxy soon joined by Tom and Krypto as they held off the mass of Mongrels and Apes, Thomas joining them as well as he stood behind Krypto, watching.

Spyro streaked off, catching up to Scratch and Sniff as he attempted to tackle them in mid-air.

"Foo! Fire the cannon!" Sniff yelled. Suddenly, a ship nearby fired its cannon at Spyro, he flapping his wings up to avoid as the cannon hit a ship nearby, sending several mongrels to their watery demise. Spyro flew off once more to catch them. Soon Scratch and Sniff landed in their ship, it taking off along with several other ships to the rear. They flew off at a fast speed, threatening to leave Spyro behind. Spyro growled and engulfed his body in fire and streaked forward, crashing through the wooden hull and landing upright, looking around.

The others were far off, the ship having left them behind as it sailed away. Spyro huffed and looked ahead of him, running down the halls as he met little to no resistance as he made his way through. He made his way towards the back, where he guessed the captain's quarters would be. He crashed through a door and found 3 mongrels before a large desk where Scratch and Sniff were.

"You again! You don't know when to quit!" Scratch yelled.

"I'm not leaving without that talisman!" Spyro said, rushing them.

"Then you're not leaving at all! Get him!" The mongrels instantly rushed him as well, Spyro smacking one head on and kicking him into the desk. Before they could do anything else, the ship began to rock and shudder.

"What is going on out there?" Scratch asked.

"Sir that metal ship is preparing to fire its main gun at us!" A mongrel said, looking out the main window. They could see the human Frigate having taken off from the cove and it pointing right at them. Spyro could see the large barrel of its central weapon that ran the length of its bow, and he knew what was about to happen.

Spyro immediately took cover as a flash erupted from the human vessel. The window shattered as a huge sonic boom splashed from the LIC gun firing, the round traveling to hypersonic speeds and ripping through the ship. Spyro felt himself being lifted up into the air as the boards crumbled beneath him, the violent kinetic energy from the round ripping the ship to pieces almost instantaneously. Soon, he blacked out.

1920 Hours

Unknown location

He could feel the warm waters touching his scales, washing over him like a loving embrace. Images danced in his head… filling the empty void with colors and vivid items. He could see… a figure, a dragoness appearing before him- it was Cynder the dragoness. She looked at him with her green eyes then she smiled, smiling with an essence that filled his body with warmth… warmth like the water…

Spyro's eyes shot open suddenly, he moaned in pain as he was lying face down in the sand. Sea water washed up all around him and he looked up to see where he was. Rocks lined the beach and the sky was a purple dark, dusk was claiming the land. He looked all around for the mainland but saw no sight of it, the Human Frigate or any of his friends. Ocean lined his vision in all directions besides the island before him. Stone structures jutted from the sand, having been carved by ancient hands, many eons ago. This place seemed… familiar to him.

Suddenly Spyro realized where he was.

"The White Isle…" Spyro muttered softly as he walked towards the gates, entering into the stone structures. He walked the empty, desolate interior, no stone soldiers greeting him like last time. There were no crystal spiders or elemental beasts before him- only silence. The sounds of rock falling from the ceiling and rolling on the ground filled his ears as he walked through. He leapt up onto the familiar platforms that lead to the main gateway, guarded by the four statues. Unlike his last visit, there was no voice to dictate his way. Instead, the gate was open, a deathly silence flowing from within. Spyro took in a deep breath before walking inside into the main chamber, the four gates to the elemental challenges greeting him. However they were all sealed. The gate to the inner chamber was already opened, awaiting Spyro as he entered, just as before.

He walked into the great library, the books lining the walls as well as the enormous hour glass that stood in the center of the room. Books floated to and fro, filling the airspace as Spyro walked deeper into the room, remembering it all. There was a book on the floor, it being his own. He opened the book and peered into the pages. He saw his adventures from beginning to end. He saw everything. He even saw his new adventures with his new friends and allies, up until the battle with the ships… He also saw more books lying around, all about his friends and even his Human friends, their books were all there too. He opened them all, peering into their lives as he saw strange worlds and lands where there were more Humans, other creatures and the Lakadors.

He finally continued until he reached Cynder's book. The black book opened and revealed the darkness that hid within the pages. The pages continued on until they reached the present, but the pages were still dark and told stories Spyro didn't want to hear. He set the book down and looked back at his own. He opened it to the last page with information and looked beyond, the pages getting darker and darker for some reason, he didn't understand.

"Enjoying the read are we? It doesn't surprise me." Spyro heard a familiar voice that lit his ears up, he turning to see a familiar face.

"Ignitus!" Spyro said, running over to hug him. Ignitus chuckled and patted his head softly.

"It is so great to see you young dragon…" He said.

"I missed you so much!" Spyro said, continuing to hold onto him. Ignitus smiled but pulled him away slowly, some tears forming in his eyes.

"It's been a while Spyro, am glad to see you finally made it here."

"You guys have been helping me so much, I'm so thankful." Spyro said. Suddenly a purple dragoness walked out from the shadows and looked at Spyro.

"Singe?" Spyro asked. She nodded and smiled.

"It's good to finally meet you in person Spyro." She said, walking towards him.

"Who are you though? You've been helping me so much but I don't know you at all."

"I am the protector of the purple dragon eggs. I brought your egg to the temple for Ignitus and the other guardians to safeguard for the year of the dragon." She said.

"So you… knew my parents?" He asked. She nodded her head slowly.

"Who are they? Are they alright? Are they still alive?"

"Your parents are fine, but that isn't important right now." She said softly, getting Spyro to tilt his head. Of course that was important to him! He wanted to know!

"Right now you need to focus on stopping the Dark Master and his allies. They are getting closer and closer to firing the weapon in dark mode." She told him.

"What can I do?"

"First you must prepare yourself young dragon, for the trials that lie ahead. It won't be an easy task." Ignitus added.

"While the Dark Master has claimed two of the necessary keys to unlock the weapon, the other two are still safe." Singe said.

"Where are they?" Spyro asked.

"One is below the mountains in the Valliyor pass to the north of here, bordering the old Dragon Kingdom. The final one is beneath the new Dragon Temple in Warfang in the catacombs. It is unlocked by its own key, a talisman." Singe explained.

"Oh the talisman! I have to find it! It's the key!" Spyro said, remembering that it was with him on the ship.

"This one?" Singe extended her paw, opening it up to reveal the talisman from before.

"Yeah…" He said, looking surprised.

"You need to protect this talisman with your life Spyro. It is the key to the door under Warfang. Malefor mustn't open it."

"I heard that the Dark Master is already in the Valliyor pass, couldn't he unlock that one already?" Spyro asked, remembering what Mole-yair had told him.

"Yes, while he might be there, he doesn't know of the key that resides under him. For now, it is safe." Ignitus explained.

"For now we must focus on the one he does know about, the one under the New Dragon Temple." Spyro nodded as Singe added that piece of information.

"What can I do then?" Spyro asked.

"Guard this with your life, and return it to the temple where it can be more heavily guarded. There are several forces working to get this weapon unlocked Spyro. There are forces here at play that are too powerful to comprehend." Spyro nodded at Singe's statement. He looked over to his book, remembering how the pages were darkest to the rear of the book as he thought about the events to come, worried.

"You're thinking about your book, aren't you?" Ignitus asked him. Spyro nodded.

"Yes, very curious." Singe added.

"Curious?"

"Yes, curious that the darkness seems to be growing within you instead of being suppressed like it was meant to be once you defeated the Dark Master originally." She said.

"It is working to consume you, make you a new agent of the Dark Master if not a new one entirally." Ignitus said with a sad tone.

"A new Dark Master…? Is this the fate of the purple dragons…?" Spyro asked.

"I'm afraid so. It wasn't originally meant to be this way. Now, it seems to be inevitable." Singe said with a low voice."

"What about you? Diablo?" Spyro asked.

"Diablo and me were before this started happening, and we weren't affected."

"I see…"

"There are forces at work here Spyro that will stop at nothing to activate this weapon, and unleash the horrors inside. You must stop them Spyro." Ignitus said, Spyro nodded.

"I'll to my best, I won't fail you." He said.

"I trust you won't. You have yet to fail me." Ignitus said with a soft chuckle.

"Now go Spyro, your friends are waiting for you." Singe handed Spyro the talisman and lifted her wing, the hour glass lifting up into the air and revealing the hole in the floor Spyro had used to travel to the mountain of Malefor. Now he'd use it to return to his friends. He took in a deep sigh before turning to them.

"Thank you guys, for all you've done." He said.

"We're here to help you young dragon, and we will always be." Ignitus said.

"Now go Spyro." Singe said with a smile. Spyro returned it and leapt down into the hole.

2033 Hours

Inside coastal village, south of Warfang and East of the Wolve's den

Spyro sat looking at the stars as the two moons hovered over them. Clouds passed overhead as he took in the cool air that passed over him as he sat on a rock, Cynder beside him looking up with him.

"It's so beautiful up there, I wonder what it's like to be up there, with the stars." Cynder said, looking up.

Spyro didn't answer for a while, he was lost as he looked up at the twinkling dots in the sky, his mind flying up and streaking through the heavens, pondering the same question himself. He finally snapped out of it as Cynder looked at him.

"What do you think Spyro?"

He chuckled softly.

"I think I can get lost by just looking at them for a while." She laughed softly at this and looked up at the stars again.

"Same here." She said. They sat there for a while, watching the clouds pass overhead and the stars beam down towards them, casting their dim light over the planet. The others sat nearby as well, all huddled around a campfire or asleep nearby as they sat along the outskirts of the village they were in earlier. They returned to the wolf den and explained the importance of the talisman to them. Thankfully they were more than happy to allow them to take the talisman with them back to the temple, which they would first thing in the morning. They wanted to get some rest first, it had been a long day for them.

Krpto sat next to Aaron and Zephyr who all sat near the fire, Roxy and Tom walking over as Thomas snoozed nearby.

"So… you never did tell us your story there Kry." Aaron said. Krypto looked at him for a bit before taking in a deep breath.

"70 years, that's how long I've been in captivity." He finally said. They all looked at him with great interest as he began to tell his story.

"I was captured by the kendynians and held by them for 70 years. That was after I watched my mother die when I was younger, and braved the snow and winters of my homeworld." Spyro and Cynder listened closely as he continued to speak.

"It didn't help that I was also attacked and tortured by those humans… it wasn't long before I ended up here with you guys." Krypto finally said.

"Why did you come here then?" Roxy asked.

"I'm not entirely sure. I traveled the cosmos until I ended up here." He looked at the fire for a bit before getting up.

"I'm going to get some water." He said before he walked off. The others just watched him walk off.

Spyro watched Krypto sadly, taking in a deep breath before looking back up at the stars.

"What do you think will happen?" Cynder asked.

"Hmm?" Spyro asked, looking down at her.

"I said, what do you think will happen."

"To who?"

"Us, about this whole thing. The Final Solution, Malefor and just… everything." She said, looking at the ground. He could tell she was gravely concerned about what was going on. He was too after all. This was just so much bigger then any adventure in the past. This was… the fate of really everything in the long run. The Humans, Lakadors, they all shared a common fate with them and they needed to the stop the Dark Master, once and for all.

Though what kept Spyro wondering was what Ignitus and Singe had told him. What they had told him about the darkness, and the ultimate fate of purple dragons now… it was almost scary to him. He didn't want to end up like the Dark Master. He didn't want to become his servant either or fall into the trap of serving these new forces- whoever they were. No… he'd stop them. He would defeat them here and stop this weapon, once and for all.

End of Chapter 32


	33. The Counter Offensive

Author's Comment: Hey guys, sorry about this... long, long period of silence. I have in fact, been writing a lot and have finished this story and started another. So... yeah XD Get yer butts ready, I'm about to do a huge update and will try to catch you guys up as close as I can. Just so you guys know, my chapters are not formatted for , so you may notice some strange format issues. Not sure how bad it'll be, I've formatted these for dA. Well, here goes, the long overdue chapters.

Chapter 33: The Counter Offensive

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

May 6, 2204

0845 Hours

New Dragon Temple, Warfang

Nighthawks flew above the temple and towards the city, many buildings destroyed or damaged from the constant fighting. Distant fighting was even audible as Spyro sat on the balcony, taking in a deep breath. The soft wind blew across him as clouds passed overhead as well. They had returned to the temple just a few hours ago and he was reminded of how bad things were here compared to the shoreline where things were more peaceful- tranquil. They had dropped off Thomas at his village and had taken the Talisman to Terrador at the other Guardians as they placed it within the confines of the secure dragon temple.

Cynder walked up behind Spyro, sitting next to him as she smiled at him, he turning and returning the smile as so.

"Enjoying the sight?" She asked.

"What's left of it…" Spyro said, frowning a little. She frowned as well, looking out over the city.

"I wonder how long we'll be able to hold out against them. Can we even win still?" Cynder asked.

"We have to, we just have to." Spyro said, closing his eyes.

"But what if we're doomed to this, infinitely holding out against the Dark Master? What will we do then?"

"I don't know…"

She frowned again and looked at the ground.

"We just have to win Cynder, there is just so much riding on this. We'll find a way to turn the tide, and take the fight straight to the Dark Master himself."

"Just like old times?" She asked.

"Just like old times…" He said, smiling a bit at her. She smiled back at him and they both returned to looking out over the city.

At this time, Karson and Allison walked over towards them with Aaron who was scratching his side, just having arrived with the others. The sun broke through the clouds and shined on them as the light was still dim, creating a soothing feeling within the air.

"I love the mornings." Allison stated as she looked around.

"How was your patrol Spyro?" Karson asked.

"It was alright. The coastal areas are doing well, but I think the Apes are making a return."

"Apes?"

"They used to be the primary force of the Dark Master, until they betrayed him and he chose another set of races. Those are the ones we've been fighting this whole time." Cynder explained.

"I see." Karson said.

"Now they're making a return, I guess he's forgiven them." Spyro said.

"For now." Cynder added.

"Yeah, for now…" Spyro said with a bit of a smirk.

"So far we've kept both the Apes and the others creatures outside of our perimeter. We've managed to keep them back and now it's just a waiting game to see who makes the first move." Karson explained. Spyro nodded.

"Though apparently there are still very little enemy forces with the city. It hardly seems like they're preparing for a major strike anytime soon." Allison said.

"We should do a counter-attack while we can. We should retake the rest of Warfang." Aaron said.

"Dyke is considering it but those new guys- those drones- they're tank killers and they are guarding key areas. They seem to be the only coordinated enemies within the city. They're the only things keeping us from launching a full blown counter-attack." Karson explained.

"We could take them out!" Aaron said. Spyro looked at him, thinking for a bit.

"We could go and take out those drone guards. Would that clear the way for the counter-attack?" Spyro asked, Cynder looking as well as the idea was sounding good.

"I suppose… I'd have to clear it with Dyke to see if he could organize the attack after you guys take out all the guards… Though it'll take some time to get all the forces organized." Karson said.

"Well as soon as you're ready, we'll fly in and take out all the guards we can." Spyro said.

"Right, I'll talk to Wagner about this." Karson said, ushering Allison to follow. They both walked back into the temple and Aaron walked to join Spyro and Cynder.

"If we can break through those drone guys, we can retake Warfang and take this fight to Malefor." Aaron said. Cynder turned to Spyro.

"This might be just what we need, a turn in the tide!" Cynder said.

"Yes… this might work…" Spyro said, looking back up.

"I'll go talk to Terrador about this. We will need all the help we can get in this counter-attack." Spyro said, rushing off to find the Earth Guardian.

0930 Hours

Southern Approach to Mt. Boyzitbig

The waves crashed on the island of Boyzitbig. The sea air washed in as the clouds formed overhead, the morning sun slowly rising above the horizon. Smoke rose from the mountain as the dormant volcano sat in the center of the island, concealing the activity beneath.

Three aircraft flew over the waters that crashed on the island as the sun broke through the clouds. Two Sparrowhawk helicopters and a single Nighthawk flew beneath the clouds, flying lower and almost silently as the Nighthawk was painted black- the signature sign of a Special Operations bird.

Housed inside the troop bay sat several soldiers clad in black armor- the HACOs. In the back of the troop bay sat another figure, a cheetah. He sat with his bow and arrows, a stark difference from the soldiers and their advanced ballistic weapons.

"30 seconds to dust off, prepare to hit the dirt." The radio squawked, alerting the soldiers as they sat up, preparing themselves to hit the dirt.

Anderson sat next to the Cheetah, holding his weapon close. Just another strike he told himself. Intel from the purple dragon and from recon scouts pointed to this being a prominent munitions factory for the Dark Master's forces. Dyke tagged it as a priority 1 target.

The cheetah, Hunter of Avalar, cleaned his bow as Anderson sat next to Doslan and Jenkins from their previous mission. Lieutenant Shaun sat in the front of the aircraft as the Nighthawk flew towards the large island, waves crashing along the shores. Anderson held his M74C close, clutching the new grenade launcher attachment and silencer he had placed along with the red dot precision sight on the weapon. They were to infiltrate the volcano weapons facility and use C4 to destroy their operations. The Sparrowhawk to the left carried some Lakador special forces, though he doubted they needed _their _help. The HACOs were more than enough on this mission.

"Beaches look clear, prepare to set down." The pilot said. The drop ships slowly descended onto the beaches as the HACOs and Lakadors stepped off the crafts, Hunter following as he knew the island well and could lead them into the depths of the volcano.

"Move up the beach!" Shaun said. The HACO squad moved forward, second quad from the other Sparrowhawk moving up the left side of the beach as the Lakador Squad also moved up. The Lakadors in the squad weren't all Special Forces. The ones who were wore special armor that looked heavily reinforced though there were at least 3-4 regular Lakador soldiers among them. He also noticed that all the Special Operations Lakadors had tails as well, an attribute that he only noted on Lakador Officers. The lack of Spec Ops soldiers there obviously showed that they were lacking in numbers, as were the Marines. They didn't exactly have as many forces as they had started out with and according to Dyke, the Lakadors took a pounding at some city to the north.

"No contacts, beach clear." One HACO said, Anderson checking a GPS map of the beach, courtesy of the TAC SAT Typhus ejected into orbit before entering the atmosphere. The TAC SAT orbited the world and was providing tactical information on their surroundings as well as weather patterns and even full maps of the world as it continued to orbit.

"Just keep heading up the beach, there should be an opening into the rocks that head into the mountain." Hunter said, taking point.

"You sure this volcano won't blow its top while we're down there?" Shaun asked.

"It shouldn't, as long as we don't detonate any of your explosions near the main chambers or cause a massive destabilization."

"That shouldn't be a problem." Shaun said. The C4 they were going to use wasn't completely High Explosive. It'd be enough to destroy whatever munitions equipment was down there.

They moved up the beach towards the rocky slopes of the volcano. There was a hole in the wall, heading down into the depths of the mountain. They entered, Shaun's squad heading in first with second squad falling in behind and the Lakador squad coming in last.

They moved down the cave, the Lakadors moving faster then their human counterparts as the HACOs moved in a tactical formation, though the Lakadors seeming to take a more swift and stealthy approach to special operations combat. The HACOs moved still, their rifles leveled as they went deeper into the caves, so far coming into contact with no hostiles. Hunter paused a bit, crouching, as did the HACOs as their CO raised his fist to halt the soldiers. The Lakadors kept on moving through, only stopping along the entrance to a new chamber up ahead, the HACOs scowling.

"We are nearing one of the mines, I can smell the remaining Manweresmalls still within these caves. The natives here are being used as slaves to mine ore for the foundries. We need to free them." Shaun turned to his soldiers uploading data to their HUD as the TAC SAT above them performed a sonar scan of the caves within the volcano, showing the insides of the area ahead including thermal signatures the satellite picked up.

"Squad 1 prepare to move out we-" Shaun was cut off as the Lakadors moved into the cave chamber without warning, rushing three guards that stood over four small moles who were digging along the wall. The three central Spec ops did a barrel roll before firing their dark energy rifles, downing two of the guards immediately as the third rolled behind cover, picking up a stick of dynamite. He lit the stick and chunked it from behind a stack of rocks, the three Spec Ops Lakadors leaping out of the way as they fired short but highly accurate bursts, hitting the ape as he was slightly exposed to throw the stick. He screamed as he was killed instantly. The stick detonated harmlessly to the side as they moved in to the next chamber, the regular Lakadors moving in behind them.

"Damn it…" Anderson said softly as he knew their cover was probably blown by now.

"Move up HACOs, free those captives." Shaun said as he moved into the chamber as the HACOs moved and started to cut the chains on the manweresmalls. Hunter frowned at the Lakadors and their rash approach as he moved with them. Anderson moved in behind Doslan and Jenkins as they moved behind the Lakadors, moving to the next chamber.

The next chamber was larger then the pervious one, holding a small river of lava that ran through the middle as several ape guards moved back and forth, a few manweresmalls digging ore nearby as there were also some Ape grunts digging to increase production. Their munitions factory was deeper inside but this was where they were gathering the ore. They would have to move in past these guys first.

Shaun opened his Com link to all the forces in the area, including the Lakadors.

"Alright, we've got 7 main tangos, plus several smaller unarmed targets, move to the eastern side of the cave wall to provide-"

Once again he was cut off as the Lakadors immediately dashed towards the Apes. The normal Lakador soldiers took cover along some piles of weapons and rocks, firing their rifles. The Spec Ops Lakadors did their signature barrel roll to close the distance, one even rolling and leaping from the momentum gained from the roll to go over the lava river, landing on the other side with a skid as he fired his rifle with acute accuracy as he ran to cover, downing two Apes immediately.

Hunter wasted no time in leaping behind an overturned wheel barrel, firing two arrows in quick succession towards a group of apes, hitting his targets and downing two apes. The HACOs moved along the cave wall, firing their silenced weapons at the apes as they rushed the Lakadors. Two apes leaped over the lava river, rushing a group of HACOs. The HACOs quickly put them down in accurate shots, the others retreating deeper into the caves, only to be consumed by a blast of blue energy as a Lakador chunked an ice grenade, freezing them solid.

A short burst from a squad of HACOs shattered the frozen apes, ending any chance of them reporting the HACOs or the Lakadors. Shaun approached the Lakador leader there, he going by the name of Alandrous.

"What the hell, you're going to threaten our operation by giving away our position!" He said.

"You have no idea how to conduct warfare. The only way to defeat your opponent is to rush them and use divide and conquer to break their moral. It is the best way to vanquish your foes."

"We can achieve this mission with stealth and special tactics, rushing the enemy would alert this entire base. We don't have the manpower to defeat all those hostiles!"

"Maybe you can't, but we can."

Shaun growled lowly as he couldn't believe what he was hearing. He couldn't believe Dyke allowed these guys to tag along, they were going to jeopardize this entire operation.

"The Human is right for now, we would better achieve our mission if we use stealth to penetrate their defenses silently." Hunter said as he walked up. Alandrous scoffed lowly as he walked off with the others as they moved to the end of the chamber.

"Fine then, lead the way Human." He said. Shaun motioned his hand to get the others to follow.

"Gladly." He said, opening the tactical map from the TAC SAT. The TAC SAT showed a tunnel that ran along the side of the western volcano wall. This pathway lead to a larger chamber deeper within the volcano, one of their first targets.

"Alright, our first target is right ahead, move up." Shaun moved his hand and the HACOs started down towards the path after freeing the Manweresmalls that were there. Anderson moved with the rest, keeping his M74C raised. He didn't trust these Lakadors at all. Dyke might trust them now but he didn't, that was for damn sure. They moved along the path until the path came outside again, the waves from the ocean crashing along the side of the mountain as the sun had risen a bit more into the sky, clouds passing overhead as they moved towards the path back into the volcano.

They soon reached the next chamber, which was much larger and was two stories tall. On the upper level, there were several ape guards and it consisted of two areas on either side of the cave walls, connected by a narrow land bridge as another lava river passed underneath it. On the opposite side there appeared to be a turret of some sort that an Ape operated. On the lower level, there appeared to be several furnaces drawing power from the lava which was where several workers forged swords, spears, shields and other weapons of war. Crystals lined the walls as they also seemed to be embedding pieces of crystals and or gemstones into the swords. Anderson didn't quite understand why they were doing this, as crystal or gemstone would be inferior to metal in puncturing power but he was sure that there was some reason for it.

The HACOs slowly moved onto the second level on the platform opposite from the one carrying the turret. Shaun remained in the shadows as he moved a hand, tellingthe HACOs to go prone as they crawled on their stomachs to the edge of the platform. The only guards on this level were three large apes, whom were all on the opposite side save for one approaching their platform over the land bridge. He however wasn't paying attention to the black clad soldiers slowly taking up position ahead of him.

When they finally got into position Shaun gave the order and two HACOs positioned along the side of the platform took two shots, taking out the guards on the opposite platform, taking them out so that nobody noticed. The third guard and turret operator continued their work without disturbance until another pair fired, taking out the operator with a single silenced shot as well as the guard on the land bridge. Nobody noticed as the guard fell into the lava stream and smoke rose from where the body had plunged.

The remaining workers and guards on the lower level were too constrained with their work as the HACOs sent a pair of snipers across the bridge to the opposite platform where they took up position. When they reached their spots, they fired two single silenced shots at two guards near the lava stream. They timed their shots so none of the other apes would notice as the two headshots took them out instantly, causing them to also fall into the lava stream.

Now that their numbers were diminished to just enough hostiles to be taken out in a single volley, Shaun began marking targets for his HACOs, each appearing on their HUD. When all targets were marked, the order was given and they all fired in unison, downing all the apes in a single volley of silenced fire.

With the chamber now clear, they descended from the platforms via ropes and moved quickly to the opposite side to destroy the forging materials. Four HACOs moved to dump the bodies in the lava and another squad moved to get the weapons and cart them to the lava as well, dumping them into the super hot material. The Lakadors watched and waited for their moment as the HACOs finished their operation in little time.

Their task completed Shaun updated their TAC SAT as they knew this was just a small foundry. The larger one was deeper within, in the main chamber. This would be harder to take down with simple stealth. Once they stirred the pot there, they'd have to make a quick escape.

Hunter walked over to Shaun.

"Come, I know the quickest way into the main chamber but we must be careful, it is near the heart of the volcano." Hunter said and the HACO nodded. Hunter lead the way as the HACOs followed as well as the Lakadors. They moved past more rocks and molten rivers until they reached an area that was elevated above another very large room. The room was exposed to the outside, and was heavily gated. Within the chamber there were several machines that carried the lava to an area where they heated the metal and created swords and other weapons.

One ape lifted a newly finished sword, some red gemstones embedded in the sword as he slashed it in the air, fire coming off of the sword and a red mist created around it.

"Seems like they're outfitting the weapons to utilize elemental energy." One HACO noted on his com. The others nodded.

The area was heavily guarded, with turrets and large apes covering the area. There was also a large winged beast near the center that seemed unoccupied at the moment. Intel listed the creature as a "dark wing."

"Alright, we're going to have to take out those larger guards, let's move second squad down to where they can take position near those overturned wheel barrels." Shaun said as the HACOs nodded and leapt down, slowly moving to their position.

"Then where do we fit in this plan of yours?" Alandrous asked the Human commander as he looked up at him.

"You and your Lakadors can assist by taking position with some of my HACOs by that furnace." Shaun said. The Lakador huffed before ordering his men down towards the furnace. They moved quickly with the HACOs but didn't seem to mind if they were dashing out in the open instead of running in intervals like the HACOs were, waiting for the best moment.

It wasn't long before one of the larger guards spotted the Lakadors and roared out.

"We've been compromised, open fire!" Shaun said over his com as he fired his silenced M74D assault rifle. The other HACOs already in position behind the wheel barrels fired their weapons, and the Lakadors broke from their position, performing their signature rushing tactics. They were actually pretty effective as they advanced yet used cover to move swiftly and into the enemy's face before they realized it. However Shaun didn't agree completely with these tactics…

Alandrous rolled from behind a furnace and fired his rifle with one hand, hitting an ape across the chest and causing him to fall. Two apes nearby yelled out as they leaped to the side, grabbing some weapons. Three apes rushed the Lakador commander and one got close enough to swing a blade with yellow gems embedded in it. Electricity arced from the sword and hit the Commander, sending him back into the ground. Alandrous moved his arms so he landed on his palms and feet, pushing himself up and doing a back flip to regain his bearings. He fired his weapon on the move as he jumped over a table, hitting the ape that had attacked him while grabbing the table and kicking it into the other two, knocking them over. He grabbed a sword from a pile and tossed it, impaling another that ran by before firing his weapon once more, rolling to new cover.

The squad of HACOs that were inbound to the furnace earlier were now weaving their way between furnaces. Anderson was among those HACOs as he did his own barrel roll to take cover behind a small workbench. He crouched and raised his rifle up, acquiring three targets, all dashing to get weapons from a pile. He tapped the trigger, firing single shots off as they hit their mark, he snapping to each new target as he tagged a larger ape that lumbered through a gap in furnaces, the target now on the rest of his squad's HUDs.

"These damn Lakadors are going to get us killed!" Doslan said as he moved next to Anderson, firing a burst from his silenced rifle. The burst downed an ape attacking and caught the attention of the bigger one. Anderson and Doslan both pointed their weapons at him, firing bursts now, the ape roaring in pain as he still tried to rush them. Finally after a few more bursts the ape fell lifeless.

Jenkins joined them along with another HACO tagged as Pfc. Bradley. Bradley moved with them as the squad moved up, advancing towards a large furnace near the middle of the chamber. This furnace seemed to draw lava directly from a source below and fed it to all the smaller furnaces scattered throughout the room.

There was a screech as the dark wing hovered above, charging down towards the squad positioned near the wheel barrel and smashing through the cover. The HACOs were thrown from their spots and landed nearby, they slowly getting up.

"That's one angry bat." Bradley commented. Anderson immediately began to fire on the creature as it screeched, noticing them now.

The HACOs backpedaled, firing their weapons, Anderson firing his 40mm grenade attachment, the grenade hitting armor on the Darkwing which sent it back, the blast absorbed by the armor but throwing off the ape rider as it screeched then came at them again.

"Those damn Lakadors are going to get us all killed!" Jenkins said as he prepared his own 40mm grenade launcher. Before he could fire his though, a Lakador leapt from the side and onto the back of the Darkwing, his claws digging into the creature's back as the Lakador fired bolts of dark energy into the creature's head. The Darkwing screeched before it fell to the ground, dead.

The Lakador leapt down and walked towards the HACOs. It was Alandrous.

The HACOs watched him approach and many of them scowled behind their blue visors as the Lakador smiled a bit, walking towards them.

The ground shook as a large ape leapt behind Alandrous, hitting him and sending his weapon flying. Alandrous did a flip to get on his feet but the ape drew his sword at him, trusting it. Alandrous groaned as he tried to leap away but the ape stopped as a loud THUMP went off.

Alandrous turned and saw Jenkins with his rifle, he having fired a 40mm round at the ape and hitting it in the head. The grenade's contact fuse hadn't gone off yet so the round had punctured the ape's skull undetonated and the creature fell to the floor lifeless. Now it was the HACO's turn to smile as Alandrous huffed a bit. This huff though was a little out of respect.

They continued to fight until the last of the Apes had been killed. Shaun and the other HACOs came over and prepared to set C4 on the furnaces as the Lakadors regrouped as well.

The HACOs placed the C4 inside of the furnaces so that the explosions wouldn't disrupt the rock below and open up any lava chambers. They obviously didn't want to do that while they were here. They retreated to a safe enough distance before detonating the C4, getting a series of THUDS as the C4 destroyed the equipment and rendered the furnaces and work spaces inoperable.

"Good work, let's return to the LZ for extraction." Shaun said, pulling up the TAC SAT.

"Sir, I am picking up heightened thermal signatures and motion sensors are picking up blips." A HACO said. Shaun looked at the TAC SAT map as it performed a sonar scan. The scan showed several contacts approaching them from within the mountain.

"We've got contacts HACOs, prepare to engage!" Shaun said as he grabbed his rifle. The soldiers climbed back up to the path leading back where they came but upon looking at the map again, he saw that they were charging through that tunnel. The squad up on the path aimed their rifle and were confronted by several apes that rushed their position, swords drawn as well as axes, swords, spears and other weapons. A larger ape swung his sword, a wave of energy knocking the soldiers out of the tunnel as their armor was singed, one HACO trying to put out a fire on his uniform as it was caught ablaze.

"Open fire!" Shaun said as he backpedaled, firing his silenced rifle at a group of apes, using short bursts as the bullets struck the apes and caused them to fall over, dead. Apes began to now pour from other tunnel openings, they rushing them from all angles. A group of apes moved in from behind them, positioning a canon and firing it at them. The round landed nearby, missing a HACO by mere inches as it collided in the wall behind them.

"Break up, form fire teams of two and move towards the edges of the cave walls!" Shaun ordered. They did so, not clustering together as more cannons fired and dark wings flew through the large opening in the mountain, firing at them with spheres of energy, colliding into the ground. One HACO was hit with a canon and flew into the ground, his chest armor having shattered from the trauma.

"Man down!" His partner grabbed him and set him aside as he fired his silenced rifle.

Anderson moved with Doslan as they took cover behind a destroyed furnace, firing their silenced rifle in short bursts that downed several apes. Doslan used a semi-automatic rifle, firing single but highly accurate shots as an ape dropped from each of his shots.

"Contact moving towards you." The radio pinged, it was Jenkins. Jenkins tagged an ape trying to flank them, Anderson turning and firing a short two round burst, downing him immediately. Anderson moved to the side as an arrow landed near his head, he ducking a bit and looking, but Doslan downed the target immediately. An explosion rocked the area as a Lakador thrown grenade detonated amongst the crowd gathering behind them.

Anderson turned and saw the Lakadors rushing from the right flank, along the exposed cave wall though taking cover from the dark wings under a small rock barrier. The Spec Ops Lakadors immediately clashed with the apes, Alandrous firing his dark energy rifle as he kicked an Ape down, shooting others.

The other Spec Ops Lakadors charged the Apes, pushing them back as they barrel rolled from cover to cover, punching through them.

Anderson watched them, motioning to Doslan as they both advanced to cover ahead of them, firing at the Apes and downing them. Anderson fired a short burst from his rifle before dropping his magazine, slipping a new one in, and pulling on the charging pin on his rifle. He aimed once more and shot an Ape in the chest with a single shot, downing him. Their armor wasn't very effective against their 5.56 and 6.5mm ammo. It sliced through whatever they wore with ease. The dark energy did the same damage, burning and scorching their fur while punching through their light armor and shields, and boiling at the skin.

Anderson reached for his M203, firing a grenade at a cluster of Apes ahead, blowing them apart as two HACOs moved into that area, using silenced SMGs to take down targets at close range. Another HACO pair moved in with shotguns. The rest of the team was making their way to that side of the tunnel, Shaun having placed a waypoint back there.

They finally reached the other side of the chamber, the HACOs firing at the targets to their rear to cover them as the Spec Ops Lakadors moved up, pushing through the Apes with brute yet effective force as the HACOs brought up the rear, placing highly accurate shots at the Apes in the tunnels.

As they went they felt the ground move and shake as well as a bit of lava seep from some holes.

"What's going on?" Shaun asked.

"Seems like the battle is starting to shake up the lava chamber below…" Hunter said as he knelt down, feeling the ground.

"Sir, we should evacuate the area immediately or else this place might blow." A HACO said as he walked over.

"Agreed, let's call in our evac birds to get us out of here." Shaun said.

"We'd need a place where they could land safely, where would that be?" Doslan asked.

"We could make our way to the center chamber and up around the mouth of the volcano. It should be high enough for your airships to pick us up." Hunter suggested. Shaun nodded.

"Take us there."

"Right, follow me!"

They made their way through several tunnels, downing Apes and other guards along the way until they were at the top of the mountain, along the opening and able to peer down below to the vast pool of lava.

As Shaun looked down to the vast pools below, he could see some structures down below, as well as large tunnels that seemed to run throughout the mountain. He wondered if they even ran to the outsides of the mountain as well. He keyed his mic to call in the drop ships.

"This is Shaun, we're clear for extraction at the top of the volcano, over." Shaun said. There was a bit of silence before he got a reply and he nodded.

"Alright, birds on the way!" The group got a minute or two to relax before the drop ships sailed over the side of the mountain and lowered themselves to the small rocky area they were perched on. Squad after squad mounted their drop ships before they slowly lifted up, Shaun sitting along the troop bay of the Nighthawk looking down below.

"Alright pilot, get us out of here." He said.

"Roger that sir." The pilot said back, engaging the throttles and moving the ships away from the opening.

"Sir, incoming contacts!" One pilot said. They looked out of their troop bay to see several dark wings and wyverns sailing towards their aircraft.

"Sir, we won't be able to pull out with those things engaging us!"

Shaun looked down towards the volcano mountainside, confirming his earlier assessment. Indeed it appeared those tunnels ran throughout the mountain and towards the outside.

"Pilot! Take us down into the mountain, we can escape through some tunnels!" Shaun said, pointing down into the lava chamber.

The pilots were silent for a bit before tilting the aircraft.

"Yes sir." One said nervously before the aircraft all sailed back into the mountain, the dark wings and wyverns giving chase. The drop ships returned fire with their mounted turrets and the other Nighthawk fired a volley of missiles at the targets before beginning its descent.

"Watch those rocks, pitch the nose!" The co-pilot of their aircraft said as the drop ship moved back and forth to avoid the rocky pillars jutting up from the volcano below. They streaked through the large tunnels as they flew down, moving into the mountains as the wyverns and dark wings gave chase.

The Nighthawks continued to fly through, pillars falling all around them as the dark wings shot bombs at them and dark beams streaked past the metallic aircraft.

"Watch it!" One pilot said over the radio as a beam hit the rear of his craft, causing it to spin a bit before he regained composure and flew in with the rest of them. They continued until they reached a new, larger chamber within the mountain.

Anderson looked outside and his eyes widened at the sight. There, in the chamber, was a massive foundry and weapon munitions depot. The one they took out was small, this was massive. This depot encompassed several levels of rock platforms that were jutting up from the lava or were suspended in between the platforms or above the lava. It was a huge network of platforms that connected several tunnels leading out and hundreds of forge machines brought lava up from the core to mold weapons by the thousands.

"There's our target, right there!" Shaun yelled as they strafed the depot, a few HACOs firing at them.

"Sir, how do we destroy this thing, those Wyverns and Dark Wings'll be back to engage us!" A HACO said.

"Pilot, fire the missiles, knock those platforms into the lava!" Shaun yelled.

"Yes sir, firing!"

Missiles streaked out from their trays, hitting the base of the rock platforms and blew them apart. Large spire-like platforms shuddered before dumping their workers and machines into the lava, collapsing into the molten mess. The Wyverns and Dark Wings entered the chambers at this time, the Sparrowhawk breaking off to harass them with machine gun fire as the two Nighthawks fired their last missiles into the last few platforms, knocking them into one another and causing them to collapse into the lava. Thousands of Apes were dumped into the molten lake as the platforms continued to topple over, the HACOs and Lakadors watching the destruction.

"That's all our missiles sir." The pilot reported.

"That's enough, take us back to base."

"Yes sir." The lead pilot flipped a few switches before reorienting the craft to fly back to another tunnel, the other two following. They finally emerged into the sunlight and flying off as more explosions sounded off from the rocks collapsing into the lava. They had destroyed their forging facilities and had accomplished their mission with minimal casualties. Time to go back to base.

End of Chapter 33


	34. Paving the Way

Part 7: The Final Push

Chapter 34: Paving the Way  
Dragon Realms, Uncharted System  
May 6, 2204  
1135 Hours  
New Dragon Temple, Warfang

Clouds passed overhead as calm winds slapped into the side of the dragon temple, adding to the calm of the city as the day was beginning to break all around. Storm clouds were hovering nearby once again, rain coming down on the city in small amounts as sunlight still came through to the city below, illuminating it somewhat.

Spyro sat inside his room, the calm air filtering in through the window that sat across from him, a slightly blue tint added to the room from the outside weather. He closed his eyes calmly before he heard someone at the door, he turning to face them. Cynder stood at his door, smiling a bit as she entered.

"So how'd things go with Terrador?" She asked.

"They went good, he agreed to the plan as well as the Human and Lakador Commanders. They even want the start the assault later today but we need to head into the city to clear the defenses."

"Alright then… it beats sitting around doing nothing." She said.

"Yeah, though I'd like to just do that for a moment." Spyro said with a chuckle. Things had been so crazy in the last few days, he just wanted a second to unwind his nerves. Cynder understood. She knew how it was like to have so much on your mind and that some people needed a second to think.

She walked over to his bed and crawled onto it, snuggling next to him. He smiled at her and drooped his wing over her. They sat in silence for a bit, Spyro closing his eyes and craning his head upwards to feel the cool breeze filtering in through the window. Cynder leaned her head against his shoulder, feeling it as well as she felt his calm breaths enter his body. Soon they would be in battle again, but for now, they would relax.

They sat like that for a while until Cynder opened her eyes again.

"So do you think we can really push this back?" She asked.

"Push this back? You mean the battle?"

"Yeah. We've got so much going against us, I just wonder if we can beat them back and take the fight to Malefor." She explained.

Spyro thought for a second before talking.

"I know what you mean, but I do think we can. We did it before right? We can do it again and we will win." He said, looking at the window with determination. Cynder looked too and smiled, knowing that they could and would win, just as before. They both looked out of the window, seeing the tree that sat next to it, swaying a bit in the wind as a bird sat on it, chirping. They could see mountains out of that window as well as the dark clouds that sat above, rain coming down on the surrounding landscapes as the cool humid air filtered into the room. This would be very unusual for summer, but with the keys unlocking and throwing the area into chaos, it was now to be expected.

"This might be our last chance, so we have to make it count." Spyro said suddenly, snapping Cynder from her peaceful thoughts.

"Yeah… we have to take Warfang back or we might lose everything…" She said with a bit of a frown. Spyro nuzzled her to reassure her, she smiling at him as he did this. They were going to win. He was sure of it.

1300 Hours  
Dojo

Spyro stood in the dojo, stretching his muscles as Cynder walked up as well. Behind her, the others came too. They were getting ready for their attack into the city and they all were well rested, eaten well and were prepared for a long day. Today they would take back the city and push back the dark armies into the surrounding flatlands and hopefully take the fight to Malefor soon as well.

Dyke had agreed to lend some of his soldiers in for support, one squad of Marines were going to fight with them. Karson, Allison and Wagner wouldn't be with them. Instead, they would be moving to take down drones in another part of the city. With these two groups moving simultaneously, they could take down the drone guards in no time and the tank column could advance into the heart of the city.

Dyke even got their warship, the Typhus to load up and prepare for close air support, it hovering near the city but just in the distance as the clouds masked its position. They were readying for an all out assault, and Spyro took in a deep breath to prepare.

"Ready Spyro?" Cynder asked.

"I'm all ready, how about you guys?" He asked.

"I'm all set." Aaron said.

"All ready here." Zephyr said as well.

"All ready to go sir!" Roxy said with a bit of a giggle.

"All right, let's go." Spyro said. With that, they leapt off of the balcony and sailed off towards the city below. A Nighthawk took off nearby, carrying the squad for support as well as Karson, Allison and Wagner. Tom rode on Krypto's back as Roxy had transformed into her dragon form to fly with the others, sailing towards the streets below. The street in question was a long road that connected the friendly held city center to several other sections and areas, including the main gate. One courtyard branched out in several different roads and if held, could be the tipping point that would drive all of the Dark Master's forces out of the city.

They flew down, approaching the area held by the enemy as they sailed just over rooftops and buildings. They came in low enough now to where Aaron and Zephyr landed on a nearby rooftop and looked out across the street. They saw their first target. A large bulky drone, covered in a crystal-like body. He lumbered around inside a blown out building, but watched the road. Several grublins walked about but Apes were now in their ranks. It seemed that the Apes were almost in Command roles now as they trotted down the streets. Before, the forces in the city had been almost in an incoherent fashion, not doing regular patrols or 'occupation' tactics. The drones were the only ones who showed actual signs of that while the others walked around aimlessly. The Apes seemed to be changing all that…

"I see our first guy. Building on the right, upper story." He said, Spyro hovering next to him and nodding.

"Alright guys, let's get him." He said.

Spyro, Cynder and Zephyr leapt in first, landing on the building across from them where the drone was. The drone immediately sprung into action, lifting its large arm and aiming at them as a dark bolt charged within it. Spyro dashed under him, kicking the creature in the gut and sending it backwards, the bolt flying upwards and through the roof, taking a bit more with it. Aaron fired a beam of dark energy that broke more of the roof and hit the drone, cracking its crystal skin. Krypto hovered above before opening his maw and unleashing a torrent of fire down below onto the Apes and grublins, keeping them off of the group.

Roxy and Tom helped him, clearing the streets of hostiles fast as they charged the Apes, pushing them into walls or Tom crushing them under his powerful feet.

Back in the house, the drone kicked Spyro away as he got up, Cynder firing a blast of fear at the drone. It didn't respond.

"Huh?" Cynder asked before she leapt up to avoid a bolt of dark energy that blew the floor under her away.

Zephyr grunted and unleashed a powerful blast of wind that sent the drone back more, it being blasted down into an alleyway. It landed with a thump before getting up and firing at the wall. The wall was destroyed and part of the building began to come down.

"Let's get out of here!" Zephyr said as he took flight with Spyro and Cynder. They flew to cut off the Drone below, Spyro opening his muzzle and sending an arc of lightning at the drone, the current flowing through the drone and causing steam to rise up before it fell to the ground, part of its crystalline body shattered.

"Are these things completely made of crystal?" Zephyr asked as he landed next to it and observed a piece that had chipped off, the creature having died in that powerful attack.

"No clue, seems that way." Spyro said while walking over and inspecting it. They had fought these things before but he never quite understood what these things were. He guessed they were just more servants of the Dark Master he had never seen before.

"You got him?" Roxy asked while running over.

"Oh yeah, he's down." Cynder said with a smile.

"Great! Let's move on to the next one!" Roxy said while moving back onto the street, leaping over a dead Ape as the others quickly followed. The dark clouds above began to dump their rain onto them, small blankets of sprinkles touching their skin and scales as they dashed down the road.

"I see another just up ahead!" Roxy said as she lead the group.

"Hold on, I think he spotted us!" Aaron said.

The drone in the distance stood in a tall brick building that looked to be another large home. He had taken cover in an area on the third floor where the wall had been blown out. He raised his arm and a bolt of energy arced their way. It hit the street nearby, detonating in a cloud of purple and black mist as bits of street were chunked into the air.

The group took cover behind some rubble, Aaron and Zephyr dashing across the street into an alleyway as Krypto soared ahead of the group and lit up the building where the drone was hiding. This drone, however, grabbed Krypto's leg and pulled him down as the drone leapt onto the street. Krypto yelled as he landed on the ground hard, the drone kicking him in his gut and sending him away.

"Krypto!" Spyro yelled as they ran to help, Spyro taking flight and firing several concentrated fire projectiles which soared towards the drone and impacted it, enshrouding it in fire and smoke. The drone shrugged it off and aimed at them, firing a bolt that blew up a building behind Spyro.

"Watch it!" Cynder yelled. She flew over and with Zephyr's help, enshrouded the drone in a large tornado that lifted the heavy creature into the air. They both held it in mid-air before hurling it into a nearby building, the wall collapsing as the heavy creature hit it.

"You alright big guy?" Aaron asked as he ran over to help Krypto up.

"Yeah, thanks…" He said as he got up and rubbed his head.

They moved to where he had hit the building, seeing it slowly crawl out of the debris.

Spyro fired his electric attack once more, but the drone leapt to the side to avoid it.

"The hell does it take to down this thing?!" Zephyr said as the drone lifted its arm, a bolt of darkness at them.

"Look out!" Aaron said as the drone fired the shot, the group leaping to the side as the bolt impacted the ground, tossing up a cloud of dirt and debris as the purple energy exploded outwards.

"Hit him, now!" Spyro said.

"Don't bother, I got this guy…" Krypto said as he leaped over, pinning the drone down in the debris before he struck with his claws, tearing into the chest of the drone and ripping it apart. The dark crystalline body of the drone scattered all across the street as the others ran over.

"Nice work Krypto!" Aaron said with a small chuckle.

"Another one down." Cynder said, looking out over the city as smoke continued to rise over Warfang. The Nighthawk that had been dispatched to help them hovered nearby, firing its guns at another drone as bolts soared upwards before the combined gunfire shattered it.

The aircraft flew over nearby, hovering just above as soldiers fast roped down, occupying a small courtyard just ahead of them.

"Come on, let's go greet them!" Spyro said, running over to them. The others followed, the small squad of five holding within the courtyard.

"Glad to see you guys, let's take these last few drones in this area."

"Right, we've been tasked to support you." The Marine said in a gruff voice. They shouldered their M74D assault rifles as they moved out, Spyro and the others moving down the street with the Marines following.

"Hey, I think there might be one up ahead!" Roxy said as she sat on top of Tom who sniffed the air.

"Oh yeah, there's definitely one out there." He said in confirmation.

"Let's take him then." Spyro said as they saw a building opposite of them, a drone occupying the top floor that was blown out, giving him a perfect view of the street and courtyard leading up to him.

"This'll be easy…" Krypto said with a smug grin.

"Hold up, we got contacts moving in." One of the Marines said, pointing to a side street where there were a few grublins rushing them.

"Take them out, we're going for the drone!" Spyro said.

"Right, covering fire!" The Marine said. The soldiers slapped their backs against a small wall bordering the street as they fired their rifles down the alleyway, downing the grublins easily.

"Uh oh, more guys on the way!" Aaron said, pointing to a group of Apes and Orcs rushing from both streets leading to the intersection they were at.

"We'll take them!" Roxy said as Tom nodded, Krypto taking the other group as they split up. The Marines moved along the side, hitting the groups of grublins as they were joined by Apes, the Apes pushing towards them and knocking a Marine on his back, moving his sword to impale the soldier before a fellow Marine fired two shots into the Ape's head, killing it.

"Come on! Get up!" The soldier said, picking up the Marine.

They continued to fire their weapons as Krypto smashed head first into the cluster of Orcs, tossing them aside as he unleashed a wave of fire onto them, scorching them before he slashed his tail, knocking them into the wall and street.

"Too easy…" He said.

Roxy leapt off of Tom and collided into an Ape, stabbing it through the chest with her sword before kicking him away as Tom ramming more Apes as they rushed the two. Spyro and Cynder flew up along with Zephyr and Aaron as they went up to engage the drone, who was already hard at work aiming at their friends down below.

"He's targeting the Marines!" Cynder said, realizing this as the drone fired a bolt.

"Oh no you don't!" Spyro said, growling as he fired ice shards at the drone, they piercing into the drone but not doing much damage as the creature's crystalline skin repelled the shards for the most part.

The bolt hit the ground next to a soldier, tossing him to the side as Aaron fired darkness in retaliation, hitting the drone and sending him through the back of the wall behind the drone. The drone fell several stories and into the first floor of the building which overlooked a courtyard in the back of the building. They flew down, Cynder hovering above the building with Zephyr who unleashed a torrent of wind down below, shaking up the building as some of it collapsed onto the creature.

"He isn't finished yet…" Spyro said, knowing better then to think that finished him off.

"Aaron, help me, let's finish this guy." Spyro said. Aaron nodded as they flew down, Spyro already firing spheres of fire into the rubble. Aaron aided with his own bolts of darkness, more smoke and debris rising from the collapsed section of the building.

Finally the drone picked himself up from the debris, firing a bolt up at them which they avoided, Spyro and Aaron flying down to the courtyard, firing at the drone who clambered out of the structure, its crystal skin still repelling the attacks.

"We need to rip this guy apart, crystal by crystal…" Aaron said with a growl.  
Spyro grunted before unleashing another attack of electricity, hitting the drone who stood in the wreckage of the structure, the energy sparking off of it as the energy transferred through the crystal. The drone continued to stand there, shaking as the energy flowed through it, shattering its body bit by bit until it collapsed into the debris in a smoking heap.

"Eat that!" Aaron said with a smile.

"Yeah… wait… look out!" Spyro said, realizing the arm of the drone was still active, firing one last bolt of energy at them that streaked between them as they both flapped their wings to fly up. They flew up to join Cynder and Zephyr who flew above the scene.

"Nice work guys!" Cynder said with a smile. Aaron and Spyro smiled in return.

"Looks like that was all the drones in this area." Spyro said, looking around over the city as the other squads cleared other parts of the city. Cynder nodded.

"Now what?" Aaron asked. Spyro thought for a minute as the others regrouped below in the courtyard behind the structure. They flew downward, landing on the ground as the Marines carried one of their wounded comrades on their arms.

"Well that's all the drones here." Spyro said, informing the others.

"Not much action then, huh?" One of the soldiers said before Aaron chuckled in agreement.

"Dyke says that they're still preparing for the main assault." One of the Marines said to Spyro as he checked his radio, listening in to the channels.

"Not sure what to do now." Spyro said, looking around.

"Could try to distract the enemy to get them away from the main assault force." Cynder suggested.

"Maybe, that sounds good." Spyro said with a smile. The more heat they got off of the main force was good, it gave them a better chance of taking more ground quickly.

"How'd we do that?" Aaron asked.

"Well, we could send out a small hit and run group to get the attention of the Apes and Orcs, getting them to follow you." Spyro explained.

"Then lead them back here where we ambush them." Cynder said, finishing for him.

"That sounds fun!" Roxy said with a smile as she placed her sword on her shoulder.

"We could help with that." One of the soldiers said.

"Good, we could use your long range weapons." Spyro said.

"Who'll be on the recon group?" Roxy asked.

"Well, you and Tom can move fast, along with Krypto and maybe Zephyr." Spyro said.

"I'm good for that." Zephyr said.

"Alright." Krypto said.

"Alright, then let's go!" Roxy said. They all moved to the front of the building.

"Just get them to come back by here, and send someone to tell us, we'll be here and out of sight." Spyro said, Roxy nodded before they slipped out of sight.

"Nice little plan you guys got there, I'm impressed." One of the Marines said, Spyro smiled.  
"Thanks!" He said to them.

"Classic ambush…" Another soldier said.

"So now, we wait…" Spyro said as they sat down in the rubble and debris.

1533 Hours  
Dragon City of Warfang

Spyro sat on a piece of shattered board and mortar that remained from the building they had engaged the drone in. The others sat around casually as they got to take a small breather from the previous engagement as Cynder and Aaron sat nearby, two other Marines being nearby as well. Three of the Marines had moved to the street nearby where the ambush was to take place, taking up position.

The two soldiers still with them inspected their weapons as they sat atop fallen debris.

"I'll never understand how those work." Aaron said, looking at the sleek M74D. The Marine smirked a bit as he cleaned the barrel.

"Probably similar to a bow and arrow or something." Spyro said, a bit perplexed by the design of the weapon himself, even if he had seen it used several times over and over again over the course of the past few months.

"I'm just glad we can relax here for the time being…" Cynder said as she yawned. Spyro smiled at this as Aaron stood on top of some broken wood, looking out over the courtyard. Spyro looked at the soldiers. He had never really looked at the Marines themselves. He was astounded by what they were capable of, though he figured their weaponry used some sort of magic, especially that floating ship of theirs and their "Nighthawks".

He looked over the soldier before him. The Marine wore a sort of armor and design that Spyro wasn't too familiar with. He had grown familiar with it, of course, over the past few months he had fought with them, but he hadn't seen the designs anywhere else. The uniform underneath the armor itself was a mix of gray, white and black, having a miniature boxy pattern that ran along their uniform, which was covered by black and green armor that sat over thicker pieces of clothing which looked like a vest covering their body underneath the actual armor. It seemed like the vest or thickened clothing areas covered more of their body then the armor did. This seemed odd to Spyro as he would have thought the armor would be the dominant piece of the whole uniform itself. Spyro signed in confusion but he figured the technology involved some sort of buffer magic of some sorts.

"How long until they get back…?" Cynder asked as she sat up, hearing the wind whip over the ruins of the collapsed city.

"I wonder if they ran into trouble…" Aaron said as he looked towards the street, able to see it through the building.

"I'm sure they're fine…" Spyro said. He trusted them. Well, he knew they'd get it done. Running into trouble though, he wasn't sure if that was beyond possibility. The Dark Master's forces within the city were growing stronger and the Apes were making a resurgence.

"Well guess we can pass the time with a little conversation." Aaron said as he rolled over onto his back, looking at the dark sky.

"Like what…?" Cynder said, turning to him, lifting an eyebrow in the process.

"Um… I don't know…" He said.

"What about you guys?" Cynder asked, looking at the Marine sitting on the wooden plants nearby. They looked up at her.

"Us? What about us?" The one closest said.

"Well, we know about Karson, Allison and Lieutenant Wagner, what about you guys? Are you from Earth too?" She added.

The Marine was silent for a bit before setting his rifle down.

"I'm not from Earth, I'm from New Cermain." He said with a smirk.

"Huh? Is that one of the… colonies they talked about?" Aaron said.

"Yeah, Humans populate several worlds and I was born from one of them."

"I think it'd be amazing to see other worlds… all I've seen is this one." Cynder said, looking at the ground as her mind wandered at the thought of different worlds.

"Just how different is New… Cermain did you say?" Spyro asked.

"Well, it's not too extraordinarily different from Earth. It does have a lot of very unique features but from where I was born it was a flatland so there wasn't much to see."

"Were you born in a village or where were you born?" Cynder asked.

"Village? No I was born in the city of Oakland. We have several cities just like Warfang back home. Though I'd consider them more urbanized."

"Urbanized?" Cynder asked once more.

"Yeah, most of the infrastructure is devoted to car highways, public transportation, city districts and sectors with huge highrises."

"Cars…? What're those? Don't people just walk everywhere?"

"Cars are just like our jeeps and tanks, though for civilian use so they don't have all the weapons and armor. They drive them around on the highways."

"What kind of public transportation is there?" Spyro asked as well, curious.

"Well, there's the city train system, the bus system and other small methods of getting around."

"Busses? Are they like cars?"

"Yes actually, they are basically larger cars meant for carrying lots of people. Trains are similar but rely on a rail system to get around rather then being able to go anywhere." The first Marine said.

"Is the city that big then?" Spyro asked.

"Oh yeah, it's huge though not as huge as cities back on Earth."

"Sounds like it… if it is your homeworld." Cynder said. Aaron laughed.

"You never told us your name." He said.

"Name's Linburg." He said as he took off his helmet, letting the cool breeze go through his hair.

"Mine's Powers." The other Marine said as he sat closer, now interested in the conversations.

"So on Earth, how'd you get all the tribes and villages to work together? What kind of kingdom is set up there?" Aaron asked.

"Tribes?" Linburg asked.

"Back on Earth, it was made up of several nations up until a few hundred years ago." Powers explained.

"Don't forget there still are nations." Linburg corrected.

"Oh, well it gets confusing sometimes." Powers said.

"Huh?" Spyro asked.

"Basically, the UER, the central government, holds power over all the nations on Earth and colonies. It took a war to forge this alliance but before that all the nations were completely independent and were always fighting one another." Powers said.

"Oh, I see… I think." Aaron said. Cynder laughed.

"It is a little confusing at first. There's so many technicalities built into the system you have to take an entire college course to understand it."

"College? Is that like school?" Spyro asked.

"Yeah, it's a higher education type of school that helps you prepare for life later on."

"Is that through the military?"

"No, it's privately done."

"I'd have thought it'd be done through the military, I see that a lot in my travels- academies merged with the warrior group to help the person into adulthood." Aaron explained.

"No, it's separate."

"You mean so you don't have to be in the warrior group or military back home?"  
"No, it's all voluntary."

"But wouldn't you need to learn to fight at some point?"

"Not necessarily. Society is secure enough to where you can aspire to scholarly research, arts or other types of lifestyles other then pure military."

"Wow… must be safe there then…" Cynder said

"Well, sort of. You still have normal crime." Powers said.

"And the insurrections." Linburg added while toying with his helmet.

"Oh yeah… them."

"Insurrections?" Spyro asked.

"A lot of people don't agree with a single government. In recent decades, entire worlds or groups have broken away from the UER to form their own governments. Some peaceful- some not." Powers explained.

"Even some who haven't officially splintered away from the UER pursue acts of terrorism to get their displeasure across. Religiously motivated to crazy ideology." Linburg added.

"I see… so I guess it's not all unified then." Spyro said.

"Not by a longshot, but at least it's not as bad as it used to be. Terrorism and revolutionaries have existed since human civilization first started but now they have all that unexplored territory to hide in on remote worlds." Powers stated, looking out at the cloudy sky.

"Guess everyone's got problems." Aaron said. Everyone nodded.

"What about you guys. What about this world. Was it always this way?" Powers asked.

"What do you mean?" Cynder asked.

"Was it always in a state of war? This… Malefor vying for power and destruction?"

"Sadly, for as long as we can remember- yes." Cynder said with a sigh.

"I see… so you guys have been fighting this war since you were out of the egg huh?" Linburg asked as he set his helmet down.

"Yeah… though I was on the other side when I was born. I was stolen from the dragon temple as an egg and brought up to fight for Malefor. It wasn't until Spyro broke his hold on me that I joined the fight against him." She said with a smile as she turned to Spyro who blushed a bit.

"My egg was hidden during that same raid on the temple and I drifted downriver to be born amongst the dragonflies and my brother, Sparx." Spyro said.

"So you were raised by dragonflies?" Powers asked.

"Yeah, I grew up not knowing about this war in the peaceful environment of the mushroom forest before I encountered the Dark Master's forces for the first time." Spyro said.

"I am surprised you managed to evade his forces for so long by the sounds of the way that the entire realms were eclipsed by war." Powers said.

"Well… it wasn't really a war anymore by then. Malefor had his armies sweep across the realms 200 years ago before we were born. He was banished to Convexity but his armies continued to fight across the lands gaining steam until they captured… me." Cynder said with a frown. The others continued to watch her as she told the story. Spyro watched in curiosity. In all the years he had known her, he never knew exactly what happened during the years Cynder was under the Dark Master's influence.

"After I was raised to be a monster, I helped sweep across the known realms and conquer every major city and settlement. In a few years, all the dragons had been driven back here to the Peninsula and what followed was more of an occupation then full out war. There weren't enough dragons or allies to contest the Dark Master's forces. All that was left was to find and capture all the Guardians to free the Dark Master. That's when Spyro entered the picture."

"After I met Ignitus, the fire guardian, I went to the temple where I went and rescued all the guardians before fighting Cynder and breaking Malefor's hold on her."

"It was about that time I tried to hitch a ride out of Convexity to the Realms and away from the Dark Master. Got lost in the forests and made my own way back to the temple while these guys vanished at the Mountain of Malefor." Aaron said as he stood up from the rocks, getting uncomfortable.

Linburg whistled as Powers chuckled.

"Seems like you guys have seen hell and then some." Linburg commented.

"Oh yeah… it's been one tough fight… I just wish we could end it once and for all but there's always something…" Cynder said. Spyro nodded to that.

"Well hopefully with this last assault we can do it" Powers said as he grabbed his rifle.

"Yeah…" Spyro said as a thud cut him off.

"You hear that?" Spyro asked as the others stood up.

"Yeah I did, must be the others! Let's go!" Aaron said as he raced through the rubble, the others quickly following. The Marines in their MG nest across from them had already set up, watching the road as they heard it too. They saw Krypto racing with Zephyr and Tom with Roxy on his back, riding through the streets, a large group of Apes, Orcs and Grublins chasing them. The group hid inside the wreckage of the building until the others passed, racing right by them as Linburg hushed them, telling them to hold their fire until they were in the center of the intersection.

The Apes lead their soldiers through the intersection, racing after the others as arrows sailed, met by Krypto's beam of energy as he turned and stood his ground. They reached the center and Linburg lowered his arm, signaling to open fire.

Powers and Linburg fired their assault rifles from the cover of the building as Spyro, Cynder and Aaron rushed out onto the street, Spyro immediately tackling one Ape as Aaron blasted another with dark energy, knocking it into the ground. Cynder's body grew black as she sank into the ground and she traveled several feet until popping out, holding the neck of a grublin in her mouth as she bit down.

Spyro crushed the head of the Ape before another knocked him off with his shield. Spyro unleashed fire in a powerful jet but the shield blocked his attack. Another pair rushed him with swords, slashing at the air as Spyro leapt back.

Linburg aimed his rifle and fired three shots to assist. The first two pinged off the ground and the third hit one of the Apes in the chest, bringing him down as another leapt to the side at this. Spyro leapt and knocked him down in one thrust before firing an ice spike into his chest, killing him. The Ape with the shield back pedaled with it deployed before the Marines in their nest opened fire at him, shredding him from behind.

Cynder leapt forward as Zephyr, Roxy, Tom and Krypto joined the fray. Krypto wasted NO time at all as he plowed through several of them at once, the other Marines in their positions firing down at the attackers. The Orcs and Apes were boxed in as Aaron circled to cut them off from their only route of retreat. An Orc raised his arm to fire a bow at Aaron, only to fall to the ground lifeless as Powers put three shots into his head. Roxy leapt onto the final Ape, stabbing it through the head as she held it in a headlock with her legs. The lifeless body tumbled down as she leapt off.

"Man we cut those guys down!" She said with a chuckle. The Marines climbed down from their positions as Linburg and Powers emerged from the ruins.

"Way to go, kicked their ass!" Powers said as he dumped his empty magazine onto the ground.

The silence was short lived as two aircraft streaked overhead, the thuds that had been up until now distant were very close as they heard gunfire down the road.

"Dyke must've initiated the assault! I guess the others took out the Drones perfectly." Aaron said as he looked over.

"Come on! The main courtyard is this way! Let's see if they need help!" Spyro said. They rushed down the road as they saw the large courtyard in question. Buildings and towers had fallen in what was supposed to be a barrier to repel the humans but now was knocked aside as three Jaguars sat at the road adjacent to them, firing at a cluster of retreating Apes and sending them hurling through the air. Marines, Cheetahs, Dragons and Lakadors rushed in from the cover of the tanks, Moles flanking them along the ruins nearby. The moles moved to cut off a group of retreating Orcs as the courtyard boasted several entrances and exits, alleyways and other pathways cutting across several buildings.

One Drone Grenadier stood on the rooftop of a building, aiming his cannon down below onto the tanks. The tanks spotted him immediately as one fired a shell directly into him, blowing the drone in half as shards rained down onto the ground, the tanks rolling into the large courtyard. The fountain in the center was soon captured as a squad of Marines set up a firing position to hammer Apes who were rushing from their hiding places to attack the advancing soldiers.

"Looks like they don't need our help." Aaron said with a chuckle as the courtyard which was vital to the counter attack fell into Coalition hands. Lakador foot soldiers spread out with the Marines as they soon began to form the force that would push towards the city walls.

As the tanks rolled in they saw the Typhus sitting nearby as smoke was seeming to rise from it. The thick clouds above didn't hide the fact that the ship was sinking low over the skyline.

"Wonder what it's doing…" Aaron said as it wasn't firing its guns in support like the plan had called for. The Frigate dipped before its engines suddenly fired, the ship thrusting itself forward as the nose was pointed directly at the new dragon temple.

"What the hell?!" Linburg yelled as the Frigate sank low before the large spacecraft collided with the temple, splitting it in two as a ball of fire erupted, pieces of debris raining onto the city. The entire tower lurched as it looked like it was going to collapse, holding the Frigate inside as it came to a halt, half of the ship lodged into the tower, its engines jutting out as steam rose from the nozzles at the end. Smoke and fire rose from the crash, creating a scene of absolute hell.

"Oh my God…" Cynder said in shock and horror.

Immediately after screeches filled their ears as they looked up. Waves of Wyverns streaked across the sky followed by waves of Apes and Orcs who dashed down the road towards the Marines and Lakadors.

"Shit! Everyone get ready!" Spyro said as he rushed forward to repel them.

End of Chapter 34


	35. Last Stand

Chapter 35: Last Stand  
Dragon Realms, Uncharted System  
May 6, 2204  
Central Courtyard, Warfang  
1925 Hours

The Marines in the courtyard fired their weapons as Apes and Orcs rushed them from every conceivable direction, the larger Apes Spyro remembered from the Eternal Night. They charged the Marines wielding their swords, smashing into a group of three Marines and a Lakador as their smaller caliber weapons didn't puncture his armor. The tanks turned their guns, the .50 caliber guns hitting the Ape as he stumbled back before his armor shattered, he falling down as the barrage killed him.

The others rushed in behind the Ape regardless of his defeat, pushing against the Coalition forces as they fell back to the fountain, the tanks holding position near the back of the courtyard as their AA guns and machine guns fired at the wyverns who threatened to attack them as well as the Dark Wings that swooped in from above trying to bomb the tank formation.

Spyro was one of the first to leap into action after the crash of the Typhus, leaping headlong into a crowd of rushing Apes, knocking them back as Cynder struck them with a bomb of poison, causing them to cough and grab at their throat as they fell over, dead.

Another duo of Apes raced forward, flanked by Grublins as they threatened Spyro and Cynder. An arc of darkness hit the lead Ape, knocking him back as Cynder took a Grublin in her teeth, biting down to inject poison. Spyro wasted no time in shooting an arc of electricity that traveled through the cluster of Apes through their proximity, downing them all as they flashed white and yellow from the high voltage.

Smoke rose from the bodies as Zephyr and Roxy advanced, Tom and Krypto plowing through Apes as the larger armored ones rushed in for another frontal assault. Two Marines near Spyro went down as arrows hit them in the neck and gut from a trio of Orc and Ape archers, a Lakador hitting one as a beam of energy hit the other- fired by Aaron,. The third one ducked before firing again, hitting the Lakador in the side as it yelled in pain, falling as it clutched the wound. A Marine ran in to provide cover as Powers and Linburg fired in short bursts, slowly retreating towards the fountain with the others as bombs exploded all around from the Dark Wings.

A Nighthawk flew nearby, firing its guns as it strafed the courtyard. It continued on as the wind had picked up, smoke and debris being kicked up into the air as and orange tint settled over the already darkened city streets, created by the fires raging at the temple above. Spyro growled. The temple was where the remaining guardians were, and he hoped that they made it out alright. If Dyke had initiated the assault already, then they might've escaped the crash. How did the Typhus crash anyway? Wasn't it under full human control? This didn't make any sense!

Spyro turned as he saw thunder crack in the distance as the Marines in the perimeter fought off the counter assault as the tanks fired at the streets, blowing huge craters in them and throwing dead enemy soldiers all over the place.

"Where did all these guys come from?!" Cynder asked as she ran over, seeing their numbers continuing to rush through the streets as the storm around them seemed to pick up as well.

"What the hell are those?!" A Marine suddenly asked as the group looked over to see new enemies rushing through the streets.

Creatures ran down the street similar to ones Spyro had seen earlier. They were pale with a dark tint in color as they looked humanoid while others looked like they were malting fur and resembled a mole while others looked like deformed cheetahs. They lacked many features other than a slim body, hunched back and they had sharp teeth and yellow eyes.

They were followed closely by the ever more frequent drones, the larger creatures coming in behind them as they raised their arms, dark energy projecting from their cannons as it arced at them.

The energy collided with the fountain, throwing the entrenched Marines back as the others returned fire, the tanks adding to the mix as well.

"Spyro! Look out!" Cynder yelled as one of the creatures rushed him. He kicked it back, it skidding as two more leapt over it, going for him. Spyro lashed at one, kicking its swinging arm away with his paw and he slashed at its chest. The creature went down, but not before its partner grabbed onto Spyro and tried to bite him.

The creature was unsuccessful as Cynder growled and used her tail blade to impale it from behind, causing the creature to let out a death wail before falling to the ground.

The other came back for revenge before Spyro growled, biting it in its neck and tossing it aside as more came.

The Marines fought hard against them, the tanks shattering the crystal-like drones as the smaller creatures advanced, running right into the Marine and Lakador lines. A Marine stood up behind the wall, firing down as his bullets shredded one of the creatures while another leapt up, grabbing him as two more vaulted over the small fountain wall. One of the Marines rolled to the side and put three into one of the creatures head while the one with the creature on his back tossed it off and fired his side arm into it, silencing the creature.

"Over there! More coming!" A Marine shouted as more rushed their lines, drones, Apes and Orcs rushing the courtyard as well as the new drone enemies. Spyro and Cynder tried to keep them away from the Marine lines but they pushed in, several of them crawling over the walls and overpowering the Human soldiers, the Lakador soldiers not fairing any better either.

Soon the surviving Marines started to fall back to a series of shops that lined the side of the courtyard still held by coalition forces. Cheetahs, Moles and Dragons rushed in to assist on the flanks but they were overwhelmed as well by the torrent of creatures that flooded the streets.

"We have to push back! This assault is our last chance!" Spyro said as he kicked one of the creatures away, avoiding a bolt from a drone at the same time as it soared overhead.

"Spyro! I think it's too late! They've already pushed our guys back!" Aaron said as Roxy stabbed one of the creatures through the neck as she got in between them. The chaos of the battle was surging through them as they were getting cut off with their only back up falling back to the other end of the courtyard.

"He's right! With the Typhus gone we have no heavy fire support! We have to get in contact with Command!" Linburg said.

"We have to find Wagner and the others too!" Cynder said.

Spyro growled. This was it. This WAS their last shot at fighting off the Dark Master's forces. But they were right. This was a losing effort here. They needed to regroup and rethink their strategy.

"Let's find Wagner and the others first!" Spyro said as another Marine fell as he was bit in the neck, a creature leaping on Linburg. Linburg grunted as it was on his back, he moving so he threw it over him as he pulled himself up and shot the creature in the chest 3 times, silencing it.

More creatures rushed them, prompting Spyro to unleash a jet of fire that burned them, the entire crowd set ablaze as they started moving to the opposite side of the courtyard to exit to where Wagner and the others had been deployed earlier that day.

They exited the courtyard, moving towards a series of collapsed buildings as the battle raged all around them, a Sparrowhawk streaking above them as Linburg fired his rifle in short bursts at an Ape that was chasing them. They kept moving as the storm raged more, the sounds of another nearby battle sounding off as they passed a collapsed tower.

"Spyro I think we're getting near them!" Aaron yelled. Cynder looked around as she noticed how bad the storm was getting. The winds were roaring above them as lightning cracked as well. The fires raging on top of the Typhus burned with no end as it sat in the distance, almost shielded by the clouds and winds.

"Over there! Covering fire!" A voice was heard. The owner was unmistakable- Wagner. They ran to the edge of the road where it dropped off, overlooking another courtyard where Karson, Allison, Wagner and two Marines were next to a crashed Nighthawk, battling three drones and a Grenadier that sat in the buildings beyond, firing its high explosive bolts at them, kicking up several bricks and mortar.

"Wagner!" Spyro yelled as he leapt down, the others leaping down as well. Wagner dumped the magazine from his rifle, grabbing another from his chest pouch as he grunted.

"Spyro! That Grenedier shot down our Nighthawk and now we've been trying to get him but these guys counter-attacked out of nowhere!" Wagner said, leaning over cover to fire a burst of accurate shots that downed a rushing creature. Karson fired a burst from his rifle, Allison using her own rifle as well. A drone rushed them but Allison lowered her weapon, firing several ice shards into it, cracking its crystal body as Karson fired his rifle, shattering its body.

"The Typhus, it crashed into the temple!" Spyro said as he went next to him.

"We saw… Something must've happened on board it to crash like that…"

"There goes our ride home…" Karson said with a grunt.

"What do we do now?" Allison asked.

"Well this counter-attack is useless… with no local fire support, no contact from command or any other support we're going to get overwhelmed…" Wagner said as he leaned over to see the other drones approaching, the Marines holding them off.

"We have to protect the gateway in the catacombs." Cynder said, realizing it.

"Cynder's right, we have to protect it." Aaron said with a deep breath.

"I just hope they didn't beat us to it." Zephyr said. Roxy nodded.

"Right, we need to hurry and secure the catacombs before Malefor's forces get there…" Wagner said as he stood up.

"Let's get these guys first…" Spyro said.

"Right, Marines prepare to move out!" Wagner yelled as the Marines got up from their position and darted from cover to cover, firing at the drones as Zephyr flew above them and flapped his wings to catch them in his vortex while the Marines peppered one, shattering him.

Cynder and Aaron rushed the other, unleashing shadow fire and darkness on it as the crystal glowed purple before failing, shattering before them as the Grenedier fired another shot, knocking them all away. Krypto roared and streaked up to where he was hiding, unleashing fire into the building and Drone as it withstood the attack and fired at Krypto. Krypto avoided it as the round detonated in the clouds above, lighting up the sky.

"Krypto!" Spyro yelled as he leapt up with Cynder to assist as Krypto strafed the Drone as the building it was in was set ablaze. Spyro added his own fireballs as Cynder added her own shadow fire bombs to the mix. They bombarded the building until its foundation failed and the tower came collapsing into the courtyard over another building. The drone let out a faint noise as it crawled out of the rubble, Spyro hovering above as he used his electricity to arc through the drone, shattering it as the rubble collapse onto what was left of it.

"Eat that!" Cynder said as she panted, landing next to Spyro.

"Where is the entrance to the catacombs?" Aaron asked.

"It's under the temple…" Spyro said, looking up at the flaming temple.

"So we go to the temple then…" Wagner said as he shouldered his rifle.

1955 Hours  
New Dragon Temple

They made it up to the top in little time. The city was in pure chaos. The Dark Master's counter-attack pushed against their own and those drone things and creatures pushed back their assault, breaking their assault and breaching their lines. Enemy soldiers flooded the city streets and Safe Zone, pushing through homes and civilian areas. The Marines were gaining strength though and with the help of the Lakadors were counter-attacking from the west. They pushed deep into Malefor's lines, creating a hook that allowed them to bring what armor they had up to the front lines and repel the enemies.

Terrador had spoken of the entrance being underneath the temple, and the entrance was somewhere inside. They had to find it… But just where was it? The dojo, gardens and a vast majority of the temple were gone, replaced by the Typhus and its wreckage that jutted from the temple structure. If there was going to be any entrance, they might have to peer inside the ship, find any entrances in the structure…

Though one thing was a priority on Spyro's mind- they had to protect the talisman at all costs. If they could at least secure it and escape with it, Malefor would be powerless to unlock the gate and they could deny him that victory. The only problem was… it was somewhere in the ruins of the temple. Finding it in all this mess would be impossible. For now, they could only secure the key itself.

Spyro ran alongside Wagner as they moved over pieces of rubble, finally entering a large room that used to be central command and found the Typhus's hull taking up half of the room with an emergency escape hatch hanging wide open and fully accessible. Wagner turned to the group.

"Looks like any entrance we're going to find is beneath the wreckage." He said. The building rumbled from the battle going on outside. Wagner turned to the door. It was only large enough for human sized creatures to fit through.

"We're not all going to fit…" Aaron said as he stated what was on everyone's mind.

"I'll stay, I would never be able to fit." Krypto said.

"I'll stay too! You could probably use the help." Roxy said. Tom nodded as he was going to stay too.

"We have to hurry before they reach the key…" Spyro said. Wagner nodded.

"Lead the way Spyro." Wagner said as Spyro leapt up and entered the ship. Cynder followed behind him along with the others who trickled into the wreck.

The ship was tiled at least 30 to 45 degrees so the floor was not stable. Lights flickered in the ship as the metal was bent and the panels were dislodged in several places. Wagner slid down to where he could get a stable footing and turned on his flashlight. There was a sealed bulkhead directly before them, though half of one of the doors was ajar. Maybe with a little pressure…

"Spyro come give me a hand with this." Wagner said as he walked over to the door. Spyro followed him closely as the other Marines turned on their lights.

"Help me open this door, we'll need to…" Before Wagner could finish, Spyro opened his muzzle and unleashed a shotgun-like blast of earth energy that blasted the door open allowing for them to squeeze through.

"Or that…" He said while Allison giggled. Wagner was the first to move through, landing on the metal floor below. He peered around. The lights were on in this room as it looked to be a small room with tables inside as the doors beyond were open and allowing access to other parts of the ship. It looked like they were near the base of the ship, below the hanger bays.

"Where exactly are we going?" Cynder asked as she walked through the doorway, stabilizing herself along the wall.

"We want to get under the ship, find any holes in the temple structure the ship might have breached." Wagner explained as Spyro went in after her, walking along the bent grates that lined the floor.

"We'd have to get into one of those maintenance accessways below the hull won't we?" Karson asked as he squeezed through, followed by Allison and Aaron.

"You got it." Wagner said as he slid down to another doorway and peering inside with his rifle, judging it clear. Spyro moved along with him as he prepared an ice shard- just in case. They moved further down the hall as they found a staircase leading down 3 more levels. This put them near the passageways Wagner was seeking. They saw a smashed in wall where the main entrance was. Once judging it was clear, Wagner ushered the others through.

They entered the maintenance access tunnels as it was heavily damaged from the collision. Bent metal and framework was everywhere, fuel lines fractured and spilling onto the grated floor as the area they were in was a service room for ruptured fuel tanks or other items brought into the ship from the service paths below. One of those access points had to be nearby.

"This way." Wagner said as he ushered them in his direction. He climbed up the partially smashed catwalk as he inched his way to a half open door. He smashed it open with his rifle as he peered inside. Inside there was an airlock with an access point. The access point was an elevator that brought items onto the ship from below, but by the looks of things the elevator was damaged beyond all repair at the moment.

Wagner walked into the airlock room. The pressure sealed door still seemed to be functional, and had been opened already. This was odd… Who would have used this recently? Why was the access code already punched in and ready to go? For now, it didn't matter they HAD to get below. Wasting no time, Wagner activated the airlock door, it opening as the others followed to the elevator. The cylindrical shaft went down, pitch blackness below as the ship had indeed breached a pathway down to the base of the tower.

"I'm going to scale down, follow right after me." Wagner tied a rope from his pack onto a bent piece of grate, lowering himself into the shaft. He reached the edge, the bottom part of the hull missing or bent in disproportionate ways. As a result, a piece of hull was bent into the shaft, allowing for standing room at the base. He lowered himself carefully from this as he looked into the shaft below. The hull had given out in another spot, a piece large enough to hold them sitting before him. He just needed to swing over to it from that point.

Grunting, he swung from his hanging position and landed on the hull. It didn't budge. It was safe.

"Lower yourselves down and onto this platform over here! It's safe!" He called out. Spyro and Cynder went down, using their wings to break themselves and hover in the stone shaft. Karson and Allison used the rope to land on the break and they too swung over to join Wagner.

Powers and Linburg came in next, along with the two Marines with them. Aaron and Zephyr were the last ones down, hovering near Spyro and Cynder as the shaft below went down to a chamber that was barely visible. The entire top part of the shaft had been obliterated by the Typhus's impact.

Karson and Allison removed ropes from their rucksacks, tying them to the fractured hull and lowering them down to the chamber below. Thankfully they were close enough to the wall to repel down, giving them a safer way to descend.

Kicking off of the wall Allison and Karson were the first down, rappelling down the side as the dragons flew down to the chamber below. The chamber looked like it was made to receive an elevator, which would explain the shaft nature of the construct. Beyond it was a large hallway flanked by pillars on all sides as a large stone door sat open beyond. The last two Marines slid their way down to the bottom, meeting up with the others as they walked down the torch-lit hallway that could easily fit 5 Jaguar tanks side to side rolling forward.

"Guess these are the catacombs…" Aaron said as they went towards the door, the area beyond dimly lit as stone structures lined the curving pathway, cob webs and deposits of dust and dirt lining the walls and floor. The pathway was very tall as well, almost 30 feet high. As they made their way through, they could see another chamber just beyond.

"Wonder how large these passageways are…" Zephyr said lowly.

"Or old." A Marine added as they went on. It was odd. Wagner was expecting a contingent of enemy soldiers down here already. It was way too calm. Had they truly beat the Dark Master to the prize?

They continued until they reached the new chamber, it lined with columns like the last one but dimly lit as compared to the previous one. A path lead downstairs into a new series of catacombs as they were starting to resemble a temple structure.

"Down here." Wagner called as he opened the stone door that lead inside. The space in these new catacombs was even more restricted. The path was a series of interconnected rooms that looked like they did serve some sort of burial purposes as coffins were stacked up inside, cob webs and dust heavily populating these rooms. One room would go up while another would take them two levels down. The layout was highly confusing.

Spyro sniffed the air. Something was off. He was just as concerned as Wagner was. There were no hostiles down here. Just… darkness… It made Spyro shiver as did Cynder who felt her heart throbbing in her chest. Something about the darkness was… unsettling… Almost too much. She didn't say anything though as they continued down another flight of stairs as Wagner and another Marine made sure they were clear.  
It was then they heard a sound to their rear.

"The hell was that…?" One of the Marines asked, pointing his rifle behind him, nothing there.

"Keep alert…" Wagner said as he moved his flashlight around the room, hearing more movement around them.

Suddenly a screech filled their ears as a creature leapt onto one of the Marines, biting his neck.

"Damn!" Zephyr yelled as another leaped at him, he kicking it away as Aaron took a swipe at another that rushed them. Wagner saw movement ahead of them as he fired three shots at it, hitting a creature in the leg as it hit the ground hard, snarling before Karson lit it on fire, the group forcing their way forward as they had to leave their fallen Marine behind as he had stopped moving earlier from the bite.

"Just what are these anyway?!" Aaron asked as he breathed darkness onto one, burning it up.

"I don't know! I've seen these more and more since this whole thing started!" Spyro said as he raced forward.

"Sure isn't anything I've seen before." Wagner said as he fired a burst into one blocking their path.

"Think they're related to those drone things we've also been fighting?" Allison asked.

"Probably, they both look like they show some relation to darkness." Wagner said as they continued before they saw the entrance to another large chamber. This chamber was very much like the one before except it was lit up and its back wall was made up of a bright silver material which resembled metal. It had several elaborate designs and all along the walls were etchings of large dragons. This had to be it. The key was inside.

"Let's go, stay close!" Wagner said as Spyro hugged his six. They pushed into the chamber quickly. The chamber was a large cylinder made up exclusively of the metallic material and a large gateway like device on the opposite end which held a small console. The gateway seemed to reveal some sort of power source that glowed a bright purple energy. It looked dormant- ready to be released with the turn of a key.

"Yes… we made it before the Dark Master did…" Zephyr said as he panted softly.

"Secure the area, make sure nothing gets in." Wagner said as they started to set up inside of the room, not wanting anything to get in as the ceiling rumbled a bit.

"Wonder how things are going up there…" Allison said aloud as she had her rifle pointed towards the door.

"Let's hope they managed to get things turned around. With those creatures on us the way they were, there's no way to know how close their main force is…" Wagner said as he watched the door too.

"Indeed, they may be closer than you think…" A new voice said softly. Spyro recognized it immediately.

"Malefor…" He said.

Everyone looked around, trying to find him but only got a laugh in return as there was movement outside.

"You're all trapped in here and might as well give up. Your pathetic army is defeated and the guardians have been taken care of. You're all that's standing in my way now…" Malefor said.

"We stopped you once, we'll do it again!" Spyro said.

"Are you so sure?"

At that, several drones made their presence known as they fired into the room, their dark energy scorching the metal panels as they rushed the group from outside, the creatures from before joining the fray.

The group opened fire, Aaron, Spyro, Cynder and Zephyr all contributing with elemental attacks as the first few groups of creatures were slaughtered and the drones shattered. They stopped, but not before another wave quickly took their place, rushing in numbers that were impossible to halt. Nearly a hundred drones and creatures plowed their way into the room, closing the distance between them and the group in seconds, pinning Wagner, Karson and Allison almost immediately as the large drones stomped on their stomachs to keep them from retaliating.

"Karson!" Cynder yelled as she flapped her wings but was hit dead on by a bolt of dark energy from a drone. She hit the ground and let out a cough as she struggled to get up, Several creatures grabbed her immediately and pinned her. Aaron was quick to suffer the same fate as was Zephyr. Powers and Linburg were thrown by a dark energy explosion and were soon in the same position. All that was left was Spyro but he was surrounded.

"You've lost. Give it up." Malefor said as he finally entered the room, moving through the crowds of enemies.

Spyro grunted defiantly as he backed up a bit at the sight of the larger dragon.

"What's the matter Spyro? These enemies too tough for you? I'm not surprised. They're pure darkness…" He looked at the Drones.

"These creatures were forged from pure darkness. And these?" He ushered to the creatures.

"These are what you turn into when you're exposed to full darkness. Soon you'll mature to a stage of pure darkness much like the drones… such beauty they are. Almost like a Plague." He said with a chuckle as the creatures breathed heavily, focused on Spyro.

"Once I saw you launch your pathetic counter-assault I launched one of my own, using some of these stowed aboard the floating craft to sabotage it and collide it into the temple, opening the gateway for me and my forces." Spyro only growled in response. Malefor laughed at this.

"Admit it Spyro, you've lost."

"Never!" He said defiantly.

"Doesn't matter, I have the talisman now." Malefor said as he had a creature run over and hand it to him, blood covering it as he slowly whipped it off.

"With this, now I can unlock this gate and I'll be closer to unlocking the final prize of all…" Malefor said as he walked closer to the gate, Spyro standing in his way.

"Remove him." Malefor said softly. Four drones walked over to Spyro to secure him. Spyro immediately kicked one in the gut before leaping on another and riding it as he used it for cover, shooting another with spikes to shatter it while the forth aimed its cannon at him and the drone. Spyro leapt off as he fired, killing the other drone as Spyro fired electricity at the other two, the energy arcing off of them and shattering them to pieces.

Spyro landed, panting while he looked at Malefor with no less resolve then before.

"Fine, then I have other ways of making you move." He said.

"Cynder, remove him for me." Malefor said with a soft chuckle. Cynder blinked in her captive state.

"What? I'll never listen to you! I'm not your pawn to use anymore!" She said defiantly.

"Oh really? I said remove him. Now." He stated this in a commanding voice that resonated through the chamber. Cynder moaned softly as she clutched her eyes shut, the creatures releasing her as she writhed on the ground before standing, looking at Spyro with those same black eyes from before. Those tainted black eyes…

"Cynder…" He said softly.

"Remove him." Malefor once again commanded. Cynder wasted no time as she rushed Spyro who dodged to the side. He didn't want to hurt her… Not like last time… not again… He brought his wings up to deflect her attack, cringing as she used her razor sharp tail blade to cut into his wing skins and sending him back into the ground.

"Cynder… I know you can hear me! Stop this!" He said. She couldn't hear him… the darkness was too powerful. She jumped on him and started to claw at his armored chest. Spyro batted her paws away before she cut his shoulder with her tail. He yelled before she smacked into him headlong and had him pinned with her tail blade to his throat, threatening to cut into his skin. He looked up at her with heavy eyes.

Malefor laughed at this.

"Not yet Cynder, I want him to see my victory." He said as he walked over to the console with the talisman.

Spyro watched helplessly as Malefor inserted the talisman into the port, the entire display and gate lighting up as energy shot out of it, and through the sky, blasting through a section of the temple in the process. The entire room shifted and turned as the walls spun around, revealing machinery inside as well as two more entrances to either side of the chamber as steam rose from the floor.

The entire time this had been happening, Wagner had been trying to reach for a grenade. He had hoped to get it sooner but the damn Drone keeping him pinned didn't help as his grenade was strapped near his chest. Finally he managed to get it into a position that allowed for him to remove the pin.

Wagner managed to free his arm enough to roll the fragmentation grenade past him and his allies to a cluster of drones that stood nearby. The grenade detonated with extreme efficiency, shredding several drones and causing a deafening THUD inside the chamber. The confusion was just enough that Wagner slid out from under the drone who turned to see what the source was, giving Wagner the chance to grab at his rifle and fire into the drone. Karson and Allison took the hint, using their elemental attacks to destroy their captors while the others did the same.

Spyro grunted as Cynder turned to see the grenade, he kicking her off as she slid on the ground, snarling at him.

"This way! Come on!" Wagner said as he ran towards one of the access ways. The drones were stirring from their stupor and Malefor turned to the Marine who grunted, taking out a flash bang grenade and chunking it into the ground. The others dashed for the passageway immediately, Spyro taking one last look at Cynder who dashed after him as he went to follow the others. Not one second later did the flash bang go off, releasing an unimaginable amount of light and noise that disoriented the drones and creatures in the room as well as causing Malefor to grunt and cover his eyes.

After the effects wore off, Malefor growled before moving into the passageway to give chase himself.

The group moved fast down the hall, Cynder firing beams of dark energy at them, the narrow passageway not allowing for much maneuvering as they saw an elevator platform beyond the next chamber. Karson grabbed one of his own flash bangs and tossed it at Cynder. He had no choice. She could hit them at any moment and they needed to escape fast.

Spyro saw this and his heart sank but bit his tongue as he knew it was necessary. At least it wouldn't hurt her.

The grenade went off behind Cynder, affecting her the most as it also hit some of the group. They grunted as they pushed on, Cynder skidding on the ground as the loud BANG and flash filled her senses. They rushed onto the large elevator platform, it activating as they reached the center and started ascending towards the surface as they could see a black and orange sky from the fires raging in the city.

Aaron panted as he looked up, his chest sore from the drone stepping on it as Zephyr sat down for a second trying to catch his breath.

"What… the hell? I thought she was on our side!" Linburg said, remembering how kind and friendly Cynder was just earlier.

"She really is good! It's the Dark Master… He's still trying to assert his hold over her!" Spyro said in her defense.

"What now Lieutenant…?" Powers asked as he looked over to Wagner. The Marine officer grunted as he looked at the floor, not sure.

"There's only one key left! It's to the north in Valliyor pass! We have to reach it before Malefor returns to it!" Spyro said quickly.

"Sir?" Linburg asked, turning to the officer as well.

"Right… right… it's our only shot. All we can do now is regroup and make our way there, try to sabotage it. Maybe… maybe there we can find a way to reverse this…" Wagner said, the human obviously out of breath as sweat dripped from his face.

"We'll need to find a Nighthawk nearby…" Karson said.

"If one still exists…" The other Marine with them said. Karson stood up as he had crouched over to take in a deep breath as he looked up at the sky with the others.

"This is Lieutenant Wagner to any UERMC forces in the area. I am requesting Nighthawk evac to a priority one target. Hello, is anyone on this channel?" Wagner spoke into his mic, trying to hail anyone on that net.

"Anything yet?" Karson asked. There was nothing over the mic, only static.  
"No, I don't think-" Wagner was cut off as a Sparrowhawk flew over the top of the shaft as they were ascending still, its tail and left engine on fire as it spun out above before crashing somewhere to the side, fire and debris raining into the shaft and above them.

"I guess that answers that!" Linburg said as he saw this, watching as they got closer to the surface. They finally reached the surface, fires raging around as they were back at the temple, but at an area away from the main structure as it had collapsed from the Frigate's impact. Some of the nearby gardens were ablaze as where they were was a branch off from the gardens. From here they could see all of Warfang. It was hell. Fires raged all throughout the city, smoke rising as far as the eye could see as the storm raged more and more as high winds pelted the structure as they could see Wyverns and Dark Wings bombard what was left of the city. The purple beam from the unlocked key fired straight into the sky from a nearby hole in the gardens, illuminating the area as another storm was forming around it as well.

"We need to find a flyable vehicle and fast, we need to get out of this city before we're taken down too!" The group nodded as they made their way from the crashed Sparrowhawk that sat nearby in one of the garden structures, a few bodies visible nearby the crash.

They heard gunfire nearby as they went through the series of enclosed gardens. They saw up ahead three Marines firing at targets they couldn't see as they seemed to be falling back somewhere. Wagner dashed over to them and slapped his back against a wall and called out to them.

"Who's your commanding officer?" He asked.

"You are sir! We don't have any officers left!" A Sergeant said as he fired a burst before reloading his weapon.

"Where are you going?" Wagner asked as he turned and fired a shot at their targets- three creatures and two Apes who advanced on them.

"We found a flyable Nighthawk on a platform near here! We've got it fueled up and we're escorting a pilot there now! We got a dragon, lion and kid helping us too!" He said back.

"A dragon?" Wagner called back.

"Yeah! A yellow and white one! Krypto was his name I think!" The Sergeant said back as he fired another burst.

"Right, we'll help you guys out!" Wagner ushered the others over as one of the Marines tossed a grenade at the enemies, blowing them apart.

The Marine Sergeant ushered his men to cover a pilot who was behind them who had been firing a hand gun at the drones and moved out with them as they could see a Nighthawk down the ways a bit sitting on a makeshift landing platform.

"Let's go before they catch up with us!" Wagner said as the group made their way over. Spyro turned to the elevator and his heart stopped as he saw Cynder rising from a hole she shot out from the elevator, she landing and spotting them. She snarled and fired a beam of dark energy at them immediately. It hit the wall nearby, blasting shrapnel everywhere as pieces impacted one of the soldier's hands, he yelling as he gripped it but kept moving.

"Shit Cynder's back!" Aaron said as he turned and saw this.

"Go! Go! We can't stay!" Wagner said.

"Cynder…" Spyro said softly as he moved with the others but he kept looking back. Two drones and an Orc spotted them and opened fire on them with arrows which impacted all around. Wagner stood near one of the barriers to the series of enclosed gardens, ushering the group forward as he fired at the Orcs behind them. Karson added his own fire attack, lighting the Ape on fire as Spyro moved beyond Wagner. Wagner started to move with the group as he turned to follow.

"Go, go, keep mo-" Wagner was cut off as Spyro turned to see Wagner in mid-fall as his face was contorted in pain. A blast of purple energy dispersed from an impact to his right hip where a beam fired by Cynder connected with him. The armor that was there melted away and flew off as blood and pieces of clothing flew from the impact. He groaned as he tried to get up as well as retrieve his weapon.

"WAGNER!" Karson yelled as he stopped, firing a few rounds to deter Cynder as they impacted near her. Spyro rushed over as well, holding off the drones as Karson, Allison and Linburg all ran over to help Wagner as they grabbed him by his arms and carried him as Linburg provided covering fire. Karson grabbed Wagner's rifle as they moved and Spyro fired his own beams of energy as Aaron and Zephyr ran over to cover them as well.

They continued to move until Cynder fired another beam of energy that connected with Linburg's chest, he falling on his back as he hit Allison on his way down. This caused the two to drop with Wagner as he yelled in pain.

"No! Linburg!" Spyro yelled as he moved in front of him as his armor was cracked and shattered from the impact.

"Shit!" Powers yelled as he ran over to help Linburg as a shot from Cynder hit him as well on his side, knocking his armor off as he collapsed onto his front, grabbing the hit as he tried to get back up.

"We're getting cut up! Get them to the drop ship!" Karson said as he hefted Wagner back up.

"Spyro! You have to keep her back! You have to stall her long enough for us to go!" Karson said. Spyro bit his lip. He couldn't fight her. He couldn't hurt her again… no… not again…

"I… I can't…" He said softly.

"You have to! She's going to tear us to shreds if you don't!" He said as he and Allison carried their injured commander towards the Nighthawk.

Spyro looked back to Cynder who rushed them, firing more beams of energy that hit a wall behind the group. He was right. He had to fight Cynder. He had to stop her… His friends were dropping left and right and he was supposed to be guarding them. He had to do this…

Spyro rushed forward, breathing fire which caused Cynder to raise her wings to deflect the attack and halt her own assaults. Spyro leapt through the fire and tackled her, causing them to roll end over end until he was on top of her, pinning her down. She fired a beam of darkness at him, which he dodged by snapping his neck to the left while trying to hit her before she knocked him off. She did that, kicking him in the gut before scratching at his chest. Spyro grunted as he leapt back, slashing his tail at her which she dodged before slashing her own bladed tail, cutting at his arm. Spyro yelled at this and gripped the wound before breathing fire which she dodged.

She was kicking his ass, there was no doubt about it. But he didn't want to hurt her! He just couldn't! He had to stop her though! Without thinking he leapt on her again, pinning her as best he could.

"Cynder! It's me! It's Spyro! You're hurting your friends! Snap OUT of it Cynder!" He yelled. She only snarled in return. He grunted as tears fell from his eyes, dripping on her face. He moved his paws to turn her head to see at the group. Powers struggled to carry Linburg away who was badly injured while Karson and Allison dragged Wagner as Aaron and Zephyr held two Apes back.

Cynder stopped struggling as she breathed hard, looking at the image.

"Cynder… please…" Spyro said softly. Her eyes faded back to their normal state as tears fell from her eyes before she looked up at Spyro.

"Spyro… I… I'm…" Spyro leaned down to hug her tightly as he cried softly. She… she hurt her friends… She hurt them badly. She might have even killed one of her new friends who just earlier they were sharing a conversation with. How… how could she? She was a monster! Malefor still did have influence over her! How could she kid herself otherwise?! She was a threat- a threat to all of them.

She looked up at her as Spyro pulled back, looking at him with a distraught look.

"Spyro… I… I'm sorry…"

"It's ok, it's ok…"

"No! It's no-" She was cut off as Malefor burst through the elevator and hovered above the scene as he spotted them.

Spyro and Cynder immediately got up as Malefor fired a wave of darkness at them, blowing them into the air before they skidded on the ground several feet before coming to a halt.

Malefor floated over them as he chuckled softly, landing before them as he fired another bolt at the retreating Marines, tossing Karson, Allison, Wagner, Powers and Linburg aside as Aaron and Zephyr moved to put themselves between them and Malefor for protection. Karson grabbed Wagner and ran for the Nighthawk as Allison fired her rifle at Malefor, the bullets pining off of his armor.

"Foolish humans… did you think you could get away? And you Spyro. Did You think you could escape me once more?" Malefor said as he walked closer.

Spyro stood up with Cynder, backing away.

"You won't win Malefor… We'll stop you!" Spyro said.

"Oh but I've already won." He said as he lashed out, smacking Spyro across the face with his claws as he skid across the ground. He ignored Cynder who tried to attack him but his tail smacked her out of the way.

Spyro got back up quickly and roared as he charged Malefor, breathing fire but Malefor retaliated by quickly moving his wings to disperse the attack and grabbing Spyro and tossing him into a wall. Spyro groaned as he slowly got up this time. Malefor merely laughed.

Powers tried to get up after that blast, helped by Allison as they ran over to Linburg who was in a bad way. He coughed as he looked up at them as they tried to move him.

"No… no… guys… leave me…" He said.

"No Linburg, we're getting you out of here!" Aaron said as he ran by them, going to help Spyro with Malefor. Malefor saw them charging and dashed forward, smacking Aaron out of the way and smacking Powers and Allison away with his claws. Zephyr floated up, using a wind attack on Malefor but he grabbed him and shoved him into the ground. Linburg landed on his back and yelled loudly as his rucksack tore open, blocks of C4 sliding out.

Malefor tried to swipe at Powers who rolled to the side, trying to fire his handgun in desperation. Malefor managed to use his tail to hit him, smacking him so he landed yards away from the group, closer to the Nighthawk as a squad of Marines from the drop ship ran over to carry him, firing their weapons outward. By this time Krypto and Roxy rushed over to assist as well, only getting a beam of energy from Malefor to deter them.

Allison rolled to the side, firing her own rifle and hurling ice shards. The shards shattered on his scales and got his attention, he growling as he picked Allison up.

"Allison!" Karson yelled as he ran over.

"Hey ugly!" Linburg said as he grabbed a nearby discarded shotgun and fired it into his gut. Malefor grunted as the shell managed to damage one of his scales, he tossing Allison aside as he now picked up Linburg who clutched what was left of his rucksack against his chest.

"Linburg!" Aaron yelled, seeing this. By now Spyro and Cynder had both gotten up, seeing the Marine get hoisted into the air by the larger dragon. They both rushed over but Malefor spread his wings, the resulting gust, smacking them against the walls.

"You insolent little creature… I'll make sure every one of your kind suffers just like these pathetic dragons have…" Malefor said to Linburg who only gave him back a smug look.

"Linburg!" Spyro said again, running towards Malefor.

"Don't worry, I got him…" The soldier only said in response. Spyro stopped as Linburg freed one of his hands.

"Get out of here… go!" He said once more, Spyro watching them as Aaron and Zephyr backed up a bit.

"You think you can hold me off? Your friends are doomed, as you all will be soon…" Malefor said lowly.

"Oh I don't think so… My friends will beat you. They'll destroy your entire army… and they'll win. Oh, they'll win…" Linburg responded.

"Oh and what makes you so sure…?"

"Because… I know them… they're good people, and the good guys? They always win."

"Enough, any last words human?" Malefor said as he snarled, flexing his claws, Spyro and Cynder only able to watch in horror.

"Yeah I got some, go to hell." At that, Linburg clutched the detonator he had been holding in his hands, detonating the entire pack of C4 he had clutched to his chest. The explosion knocked Spyro and Cynder away and got a roar from Malefor.

"Get clear! Go!" Karson yelled.

"Noooooooooooooo!" Spyro said as he saw this, Karson running over to Spyro.

"We have to go! Now!" Both Spyro and Cynder ran at this, Allison helping Powers to the Nighthawk as the Marines got on board, the engines flaring. Aaron and Zephyr took flight to save room as did Krypto as Spyro and Cynder also took flight. Karson got on board as the smoke was clearing, Malefor having a sizable wound from that, growling in pain as he fired beams of energy at them.

The drop ship lurched off of the pad and flew off as the storm raged from the purple beam that was gaining strength. The dragons flew around it as the ship gained speed and flew off to the north as they flew to keep pace.

Cynder sniffed as he heart was in her throat. She did all this… Linburg died because of her… Wagner was injured because of her… She was a monster… This was all her fault. Spyro flew ahead of her and she sniffed as they flew over the Burned Lands now as the drop ship's engines flared ahead of them. She could just… slip away while they weren't looking. Yes… Just slip away and hide… they'd be much better off…

It was settled. As soon as they reached the Mandobar pass, she flapped her wings to break formation from the group, heading northeast rather then north. Spyro caught her at the corner of his eye, seeing her fly away from them.

"Cynder! Wait!" He said, turning to her.

"Spyro, no! We have to keep going! We need to beat Malefor to Valliyor!" Aaron said.

"But Cynder! We have to go back for her!"

"It's too late Spyro! We need to continue on!" Aaron said, holding him now as he tugged him forward.

Tears streaked down Spyro's face as he nodded, clutching his eyes shut as Aaron nodded, they both going through the pitch black clouds with fire and ash falling from it now as night claimed these lands.

End of Chapter 35


	36. The Mountains of Valliyor

Chapter 36: The Mountains of Valliyor

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

May 7, 2204

0530 Hours

Approaching Valliyor Pass

The drop ship sailed through the sky, black clouds covering the area as the insides of the Nighthawk were illuminated by the cockpit computers and consoles, blue and yellow lights shining into the troop bay as it was still night out. Karson sat next to Wagner who was laid out on one of the benches, the Corpsman, Mclowsky, wrapped a bandage on him to stop the bleeding.

Spyro sat in the troop bay with the others as they rested their wings. They had been flying for a while now, ever since they left Warfang yesterday. There was no sign of Cynder and Spyro could only stare at the floor as he thought of her out there, wherever she was. Spyro turned his head to look out the cockpit, seeing a snowy expanse beneath the drop ship as they drew closer to the Valliyor mountain pass. It was still night out so visibility was very low, only areas illuminated by the ships lights were visible.

Krypto continued to fly outside, along with a second drop ship the group managed to pick up. The Sparrowhawk flew alongside the Nighthawk, carrying a few more survivors from the failed counter-assault. On that one there were apparently Lakadors and one of Wagner's former Company Soldiers- Lieutenant Buckman. While Wagner was incapacitated by the wound, he was in charge of the operation.

Their numbers had greatly dwindled since the beginning of the battle. They only had Powers and that other Marine from the earlier operation- Corporal Henderson. Three other Marines were aboard this Nighthawk, Sergeant Spears, Private O'Brian and PFC Picante. Apparently there were some Elite Human soldiers on the other drop ship, some 'HACOs' as well as Hunter of Avalar. Spyro was glad that Hunter was with him again. For the longest time he had been helping the Human Spec Ops groups to locate key strategic targets and eliminate them. So far they had been successful, but now? Spyro rubbed his head softly. Things were definitely in a bad way.

"Visibility is nearly 0." One of the pilots said

"Roger that, switching to thermal."

"Please advise, coming across large mountain structures."

"Roger, target pass is approaching."

The pilots seemed to be talking to each other and on their headsets to the other drop ship. Hunter must be relaying directions in order to reach Valliyor. If they were close, maybe they could use the cover of night to mask their approach…

The drop ships continued on as the snow pelted the glass panes, only to get whipped off by the ship's wipers. Spyro could see a large mountain ahead, the ships getting ready to pass them up as the winds picked up, a sign a valley was nearby.

"Target within visual range."

The pilot said. Everyone looked up as the aircraft crested the mountain, a valley visible below as it was illuminated by the structures within. There appeared to be a blue shield coming up from the pass below, a mountainous wall at the base of it separating the pass into two sectors. Beyond that shield like entity was a mountain that had a citadel structure along its side, dug into a large hillside blanketed with different structures and ruins. It looked fortified with an army.

"How the hell are we supposed to get passed that… shield?" Aaron asked as he stood up. The drop ships hovered as snow continued to pelt their hulls, Wagner leaning up to get a better view. Buckman's voice could be heard over the ship's intercom.

"No way we're getting passed that shield, set us down near that bluff near the base. We'll try to make our way through that fortified hillside and see if there is an entrance somewhere. They must funnel troops through somewhere, and we'll use it to gain access."

"Looks like more sneaking around in the cold…" Zephyr said.

Roxy laughed as the drop ships flew down to the base of the valley, landing in a clearing that was underneath an overhang, embedded into one of the many mountains. The troop bay doors opened, revealing the cold to the group as snow drifted into the aircraft.

"Man I hate the cold…" Aaron said stepped in, Zephyr shivering as well. The Marines disembarked as the still night radiated through the valley. They were surrounded by a forest with several ruins sticking out of the snow, creating a scene of awe as they varied from semi-castle structures to simple huts or walls that had survived the weather.

"Alright, everyone gather your gear, we're moving out." Buckman said as he walked over, holding his rifle. The HACOs and Lakadors disembarked the other Sparrowhawk as well as Hunter.

"Hunter! Good to see you again." Spyro said, shaking off his depression just for a bit.

"Spyro! I'm glad to see you're still safe." He looked around for a bit.

"Where is Cynder?" He finally asked.

Spyro merely looked at the ground. Hunter sighed.

"This is most unsettling…" He said.

The snow continued to fall as the winds picked up a bit, a few of the Marines on guard duty as Powers and Wagner were inside healing and resting from that fight. Krypto touched down nearby and flapped his huge wings to brace himself.

By now, there was a crack of light coming over the mountains, morning fast approaching as the group began to follow Buckman who lead them through a riverbed just ahead. The riverbed went alongside a large cliff, structures on the top.

"Alright, I want to scout out these structures so we need to move stealth-fully.

HACOs, move up with the Spec Ops Lakador and capture that area above. Spyro, help them out. The rest of us will move to that large structure to the East."

Buckman pointed to a large building embedded into a large hill of snow and a cliff face that was part of the overhang their drop ships were parked under.

They nodded as the three HACOs started to climb a small incline leading up to the structures ahead. Spyro followed, as did the Spec Ops Lakador. The HACO's black armor stood out against the snow as they moved, holding their weapons tightly as the Lakador moved in a very different way. He moved with great grace as his legs propelled him forward in an almost sprint fashion.

"Hold." The lead HACO said.

They crouched in the snow as the incline started to look like a stair case. The HACO climbed the stairs as he slowly looked over the top of the ledge. The area up ahead was a square partially buried in snow. Houses or structures lined the edges of this circular town square, if that was what you could call it. Torches illuminated it as two Apes sat in the center. They sat next to a partially destroyed fountain as they cleaned their swords. Two more Apes were walking around a hut at the far side, it looking like it was converted to a small home for these Apes who were apparently on sentry duty.

The HACO used his hand to usher the others forward, Spyro moving as well. The Lakador climbed up onto the square and slowly moved towards one of the Apes. One of the HACOs aimed his rifle as the Lakador took the signal and dashed forward, grabbing an Ape from behind and stabbing him in the neck. The HACO fired one shot from his rifle, only a small PUT coming out of it as the weapon was suppressed. The second Ape flinched a bit as it lurched face forward into the fountain. The Lakador dropped the first Ape before moving to engage the other two.

The HACO moved his hand, ushering Spyro forward with the others who climbed up and moved to the fountain. The HACOs saw the Apes still looking the other way and moved forward. The Lakador did the same thing, rushing the first Ape with his blade out, the second HACO doing the same as he leapt onto the Ape, cutting his throat as did the Lakador who tossed the dead Ape aside. Spyro grunted. He didn't even get to fight one Ape. Oh well… He turned his head and saw the others entering the structure to the East. They were moving forward… Spyro looked over as the HACOs moved to what looked like a footpath with stone walls and structures lining it as most of them looked half collapsed.

They moved to another square and held position just outside, seeing a large group of Apes moving through it as the HACO ushered Spyro over.

Spyro moved through the snow and sat beside the HACO.

"Go and tell Buckman we're running into large troop movements along these town ruins. From here I can see several paths leading up the hills. They might be troop highways." He said softly to Spyro who nodded. He moved away, going back down the path as there was a fractured road that went directly to the large structure Buckman was in.

By now the sun was cresting over the mountains, the bright light extending over the area which created a true scene of awe. Spyro walked along this path as a frozen waterfall went over him. He continued to go until he reached the end which was bordered by a series of huts. Three Apes were moving through this square so Spyro decided to press his back against a stone wall, wait until they passed by. If he gave away his position, their little assault would be for naught.

"Those pitiful creatures fell quickly back at Warfang…" One of them said.

"I knew they would… With us spearheading that attack? They didn't stand a chance…" Another piped in.

"They said that the purple whelp, Spyro, is headed in this direction. The Master got caught up by some nasty wound he got…" The first one said again.

"He won't get passed us. We'll stop him here…" The second one said again. The third one coughed as he spoke.

"That black devil was headed here too. She broke off from the group, scouts saw her along the eastern banks of the citadel. We'll have her captured in no time…" The Ape said softly.

Cynder…? Here? Spyro had to find her. He'd have thought she had gone somewhere else but if she was here… Yes, he had to find her. He'd find her, and nothing could stop him. He grunted though, he still had an objective to complete.

Spyro arrived at the door to the structure, pushing it in slowly as the snow hit against it. He immediately got a rifle barrel to the face from one of the Marines, O'Brian. Spyro stood paralyzed before the Marine saw it was him and stood down.

"Sorry about that." He said, lowering the weapon. Spyro smirked a bit as he gave a nervous chuckle, walking in.

"Spyro! What's the situation?" Buckman said as he walked over. The entire group was here as this place looked to be a barn of sorts. There were a pile of dead apes on the other side as Roxy sat on top of them, looking out of the doors to get a peak at the citadel.

"The HACO told me to tell you that they can see several soldiers using foot paths up ahead, and that he thinks there is a highway that they're using to move soldiers out of the protected field." Buckman thought for a minute before nodding.

"We'll have to follow them then… hmm…" He scratched the back of his head as he put his helmet on.

"Alright, carry on." Buckman said. Spyro nodded as he walked over to the door, looking out over the doors Roxy was peaking over. Dunes and snow met his gaze. He took a deep breath as he looked, picturing Cynder over there with her black scales, white horns and… wait… Cynder? He grunted, looking out as he thought he had seen her. He had! He made his way to the back door and peaked outside. More snow awaited him as he moved outside without anyone else knowing. He trotted away from the building through a small pine forest that coated the eastern side of the structure. Ahead there were more trees as it went along the side of the mountain.

He grunted as he could feel the cold whipping across his body as he continued on. He had to find Cynder. This was his only objective.

0835 Hours

Marine LZ

"What do you mean Spyro's gone?!" Buckman asked as the HACOs and Lakador had returned.

"He never returned to our area to continue the scouting mission." The HACO said.

"What?! Where did he go?" Roxy asked as Aaron was behind her.

"Did he get captured?" Zephyr asked.

"I bet he went to find Cynder…" Aaron said, grunting.

"That fool…" Roxy said silently.

"This is most unfortunate." Hunter said with a solemn sigh.

Wagner laid on the bench in the Nighthawk. The group had returned to the LZ just a little while ago to further plan their assault. Their tip of the spear was going to be Spyro. But… now he was gone. Wagner had no doubt he had gone to find Cynder. This was a foolish move he thought. Now when they needed him most… he was gone.

"Damn it Spyro…" Wagner said under his breath. The Corpsman cleaned a cloth as he changed Wagner's bandages, the medicine and cold having numbed it out long ago so he didn't feel a thing.

"I'm going to go and check the Sparrowhawk for some rations. Stay put." Mclowsky said as he walked out of the drop ship.

"Not going anywhere Doc…" Wagner said with a grunt. Wagner saw Powers sitting on the opposite bench, resting as his own wounds were healing. While his wounds were nowhere as severe as Wagner's, he still needed some rest. At least for a bit.

Wagner laid his head down and closed his eyes for some rest of his own.

Outside, the HACOs were moving into the Nighthawk to gather some equipment. The lead HACO, Anderson, moved towards the cockpit to search the equipment crates in the front. His comrades Jenkins and Doslan walked in behind him, all holding their weapons.

Following their raid on Boyzitbig, they were deployed with the Lakadors in another small scale raid along the coastal areas of Warfang. They were then tasked with aiding the main assault by deploying ahead of the central force, destroying targets of high interest. However, once the assault fell apart, they decided to regroup and try to reformulate their plans. They picked up Wagner's call on the net and responded. However by that time their Nighthawk had taken off but they saw it flying at breakneck speeds to the north. After an hour of trying to establish radio contact in the frenzied field surrounding Warfang, they finally linked up with them. They then headed north for this last ditch effort to stop the Dark Master.

Anderson sighed as he removed his helmet and began to forage through a crate. They had located a laser targeted that had originally been issued for HACOs to use to point out targets for orbital bombardments. While their orbital support was… for the moment "immobile", Jenkins was able to establish a link to the Typhus' badly damaged computer network. He was surprised after all that pounding it was still active. He found that one of the rail guns was actually intact and operational. It was the rear cannon mounted on the engine block and could swivel in all directions. It's powerful magnetically charged barrels could propel rounds in upwards of 100 to 200 miles.

Normally this plan would end where it started- the ship. Nobody was alive on board to man the gun. The loading sequence was automated, save for the actual targeting and firing. Thankfully in cases of extreme events, if the network was offline, remote activation was possible. Bouncing their signal off of the TAC SAT still in orbit, they could remotely operate and fire the gun. These protocols would normally be locked away and would require command authorization to use. Dyke made sure at least one soldier out of every squad had access to these codes if things ever got this bad. Never thought they'd have to use it but…

With those guns, they could level most opposition. The only issue was not to over fire the weapon. Over firing might result in the temple destabilizing and collapsing. Then they might lose their only source of artillery! They'd have to use it lightly. They did, however, manage to locate a mortar tube and even some rounds to use from the Sparrowhawk. That could be invaluable as well! That and Spyro had up and vanished. Buckman was sending Aaron and Zephyr out on runs to try to find him but Anderson didn't hold his hopes too high. This was their only shot. They had a mission to do and if he wasn't all in with them, then he was a liability.

Anderson pulled out another crate and found it contained a few assault rifles, clips of ammunition and grenades. They were useful but he was hoping for more. He continued to forage through the crates, hoping they could find something-anything useful.

Outside the snow was starting to pick up as the sun came over the mountains. Aaron and Zephyr walked back to the group after trying to find Spyro, having no luck as they shook off the snow. No luck. He had gone off to find Cynder, and now they were left having to find a way to salvage this operation without him.

Eastern Mountain Banks

0933 Hours

Spyro trudged through the snow, grunting as the howling winds were only increased from the valley-like nature of the banks he was on. The side of the mountain created a miniature valley as another mountain range flanked it, funneling winds through at a higher speed than normal. That coupled with the fact that a snow storm was blowing through at this moment didn't bode too well with Spyro who moved along the largely empty mountain side.

Snow continued to filter down, his vision starting to obscure as he grunted, trying to push through. He needed to find Cynder… he just had to… But, where could she be? He deeply regretted leaving the group so suddenly but he knew they'd have never let him leave to find her. Though he could sure use their help now…

The ice pressed into his scales, feeling like miniature daggers as the pressed into his skin below his scales. He shivered a bit as the winds were starting to pick up. The entire side of the mountain was now obscured by the storm, covering him in a thick layer of the white material.

After a while of walking, Spyro saw something in the distance. Squinting he saw it resembled a figure. He grunted, walking forward towards the silhouette on the horizon. The snow obscured his vision as he approached it and then it was gone.

Spyro stood, transfixed as he looked around, the wind whipping his face. He saw the figure farther down the side of the mountain. He grunted as he picked up his paw, moving the heavy limb as he moved forward. This became a goal now. He had to find out who this figure was.

He could see now that it resembled a dragon- an adult dragon at that.

"Ig…Ignitus…?" Spyro softly asked as he walked forward, trying to reach the figure. As he approached, a snow drift obscured his vision and once more, the figure was gone.

Grunting, Spyro scanned the horizon for any sign of it. He caught a glimpse of it farther down. He pulled his paws from the snow to move forward again, trying to keep pace with the dragon.

He stumbled a bit, snow falling off of him as it had accumulated so heavily on his body. He continued onward with great vigor, the winds making his body tremble as every element seemed to keep Spyro from this new goal of his. This… this dragon… Who was it? He had to know… He had to! Spyro kept on, grunting louder and louder as he kept on, the figure just within reach… Spyro fell into the snow as he crawled towards it, reaching out with his paw. Snow fell from his paw as it sat hovering before his face, the wind whipping his body and trying to stop him. No… no… he had to…

Soon the image faded away, a lone figure approaching Spyro- not a dragon- some humanoid. Spyro couldn't make it out, it was blurry. Spyro's head fell into the snow as he finally blacked out, footsteps approaching him.

1012 Hours

Village Ruins along Highway

Roxy grunted as she pushed back against the ape, railing him hard before knocking him on his back. The ape let out a wail of pain as Roxy leapt up and delivered the death blow to it with her sword, leaping back off as she sighed. Tom dashed forward through the snow as Aaron and Zephyr came from behind as Krypto was above, smashing a guard tower to peices.

"Look out! Orcs!" Aaron said as three Orcs ran down a flight of stairs from above. They aimed their arrows and fired, Aaron leaping forward to smash one of them as Zephyr let loose a whirlwind that knocked the others away.

Roxy wasted no time. She was already in their faces by the time they grabbed another arrow. She kicked the first one before using her sword to bring down the second with great ease. Aaron reeled his head and fired a beam of darkness into the final one, it letting out a death wail as it tumbled down the steps.

"Come on! Let's go!" Roxy said as she ascended the stairs.

"Right!" Aaron said as he followed right behind. Tom watched their rear as Zephyr ran up as well, the group ascending to the next area. Ahead lay four separate huts, Apes ushering Grublins outside to fight as the fresh snow coated the ground. The noon sun was out, clouds in the distance indicating a snow storm was bearing close to them. Roxy by now had fulfilled the unofficial "leader" of the group in Spyro and Cynder's absence with Aaron's help. As Aaron and Zephyr blasted away at the Apes, Marines came in from behind, moving along another road to gain a vantage point as the group was drawing all the attention. Buckman wanted them to move as fast and silently as possible so they could breach that shield wall. If only they had Spyro… they'd have been at the wall by now.

Paying this no mind Roxy pushed on with the others, a few of the Apes getting put down by rifle fire from the Humans. Hunter dashed from snow mount to snow mount as well, firing arrows with great precision as Apes and Orcs coming out for battle were soon put down. The Grublins started to panic, their commanders now dead or retreating from the hail of gunfire and energy bolts. Many cut and ran, those that stayed didn't fair long with Aaron and Zephyr who continued to plow through them...

Another large guard tower fell over as two much larger orcs tumbled from it and into the snow. Krypto flapped his wings as he landed nearby, crushing one of the surviving Orcs who tried to crawl away.

"Go, go!" Buckman yelled as he ran with his men, pushing as the soldiers fired suppressed weapons into the backs of the retreating Apes. They wouldn't live to trip the alarm, at least that's how Buckman wanted it. The entire hillside was alive with soldiers and the last thing he wanted was for all of them to funnel their way. They had their CP at the base of the hill but they needed a much more defendable position if shit hit the fan.

Buckman dashed over to a snow mount as he looked up towards the citadel and the shield wall, reloading his weapon without a second thought. Two of the Lakadors that came with them took position on the same snow mount.

"Do you think that ship borne weapon can really punch through that?" One of them said- Yahade'.

"I hope we don't have to. The second it goes off, the entire mountain knows something's up." Buckman said.

The other Lakador with them, Sandowah ducked as an arrow flew nearby.

"Your ballistic weapons will do that first if you're not careful..." He said. Buckman grunted.

"Our weapons are suppressed, you don't have a thing to worry about." Buckman reassured.

"Regardless..." He responded, leaping over the mound.

"Don't mind him..." Yahade' said. Buckman grunted softly. He knew trying to work with the Lakadors was going to be difficult, he was just glad they weren't shooting at him anymore.

"So just what is your plan?" The Lakador officer asked.

"For now, we need to get up there, find out if there is a passage into the citadel. If we have to, we'll use our rail gun to punch a hole right in the side of the mountain." Buckman said as he aimed his rifle over the side of the mound.

"And what of the purple dragon?" Yahade' asked. Buckman sighed, retracting his rifle and looking at the snow in deep thought.

"For now, we have to push on, with or without him." Buckman said lowly, getting up as he moved over the mound as well, Yahade' following right after him. Buckman moved with his rifle butt planted firmly on his shoulder, Yahade' moving swiftly through the snow in his own fasion, much different to Buckman's movements. Yahade' moved swiftly and organicly compared to Buckman's stiff and bulky movements. They moved up the stairs to the next area in time to see Aaron and Zephyr blast through a cluster of Apes.

Finally their sub-objective was in sight. The area ahead was sitting on top of a hill, overlooking what the HACOs had reported as a highway for enemy soldiers. From there, they could heavily monitor enemy movements and with good radio contact hold this entire area and prepare for their own assault. They might even find a way inside.

"Zephyr, Hunter, go back to base camp and tell the others we're about to take our objective! Come back and give me an update on their situation!" Buckman said as he saw the two advancing with the group. They both nodded as radio contact had been choppy as of late and headed back down the hillside and back to base camp. Buckman grunted as he fired a short burst from his weapon in midstride, missing an Ape who took cover and started running back to join his comrades further down a small trench.

The storm began to come above them, the temperature dropping steeply, he being able to feel it down to his bones as he continued to run, keeping an eye on those Apes.

Buckman slapped his back against a rock that was along the area leading to the house. A few of the others had done the same, firing their weapons as snow started to fall all around them, the sky turning black. Buckman fumbled with his rifle a bit as he fired, the cold really starting to affect his movements. The Lakador beside him showed no signs of this, Yahade' switching between standing and crouching positions while firing his weapon. He finally dove behind a small overturned barrel that sat next to them, letting his weapon cool off as he inserted another power core to keep it running.

Buckman gripped the barrel of his weapon tightly as he fired off short bursts once more, hitting an Ape who was retreating. The creature fell face first into the snow, his comrades hastily leaving him behind as they dashed towards the house. Interestingly they weren't moving to occupy it for a last stand, they just seemed to be retreating behind it. Obviously there was no real command structure with this particular group, or they'd have seen the strategic importance of the house.

Buckman saw HACOs move from their flanking position and onto the courtyard in front of the house. Their weapons put down the last few Apes who stood next to the doorway and Buckman stood from his cover.

"Go, go, push into the house!" He ordered. He then vaulted over his cover along with the Lakador as they moved towards the doorway. Buckman expected that behind that door they'd meet a meat grinder with Apes, Grublins and other creatures that would probably struggle to defend the house.

The battle was over before it began. Whatever resistance the Apes had set up inside the house was either too ill prepared or just outright abandoned. As soon as the HACOs with their Lakador allies smashed in the door it was clear the house was theirs. Buckman entered right after them, followed by Roxy and her allies. They then set about preparing for the inevitable counter-attack as the Apes were regrouping just beyond the house.

"On the left, watch the left!" A Marine yelled as they ran through trenches that the Apes had prepared underneath the house. It took them less than 30 seconds to secure the entire house, it giving them that incredible view over the road leading to the shield. Buckman ordered the soldiers to set up wherever they could to repel any counter-attack, knowing that since the enemy couldn't see them, he also couldn't see the enemy. Snow pelted the area as they held themselves within the house. It was pretty sizable though, looking to have belonged to someone wealthy before the Apes moved in. The rock beneath the house had been hollowed out, providing a substantial fortress for them to occupy. From the upper levels and lower levels the Marines and Lakadors held off the Apes and Orcs who rushed through the snow at their buildings. The blizzard snuffed out any sounds of their gunfire or grenades, providing perfect cover.

A grenade detonated in the fray as a beam of darkness cut through the thick snow. Two Apes were cut down, their steaming bodies laying in the snow as more gunfire shot out towards them. Buckman ran downstairs from the house and into the hollowed out base beneath the house. There were several trenches made from ice and rock that were underneath the house, creating a formidable fortress as a few of the Marines, Picante, Powers and Henderson, sat along the ice and fired at oncoming targets. Bolts of dark energy from the Lakadors flew above from upstairs as Buckman raised his rifle to fire as well. The snow was becoming almost too thick to see or fight and he was thankful they had this house to take cover in. Zephyr had volunteered to run back to the LZ as their radio was almost useless here. The shield seemed to be jamming their coms to some extent and the blizzard didn't help them one damn bit.

Pretty soon things quieted down outside as it seemed the apes gave up the attack, or those who were around were all dead. The snow beat against the house as the group calmed down following the attack.

"Clear!" Someone said. Buckman relaxed as Aaron and Roxy walked over from the other side, Aaron shaking a bit from the cold as snow blew in from the slits between the floor above and the ice below.

"I hope Zephyr made it back alright, it's getting nasty out there." Roxy said softly as she shivered visibly.

"I wonder about Spyro as well. I hope he's not out there in this either." Aaron said as well. Buckman frowned. If Spyro was in the storm, he could be dead by now. They heard footsteps nearby. They turned to see Zephyr with Hunter entering the snow covered structure. Zephyr was panting as Hunter had used his cloak to shield him from the snow.

"How're things back at the LZ?" Buckman asked.

"So far things are good..." Zephyr took in a deep breath as his throat sounded dry from the cold.

"Karson and Allison are still trying to find Spyro right now but because of the storm they're taking a break. So far they're managed to stay out of sight but..." Zephyr trailed off, as if trying to think of something to say.

"But what?" Buckman asked.

"Wagner's missing."

"What do you mean Wagner's missing?!" Buckman asked as his eyes widened. He was injured, how the hell could he go missing?!

"He's just... gone! I can't explain! The humans there have no idea where he went!"

"This is true. He seems to have slipped out on his own, as there have been no engagements at that outpost since we left." Hunter added.

"What the hell is going on... First Cynder then Spyro and now Wagner..." Buckman said with a low breath.

1439 Hours

Eastern Mountain Banks

Spyro groaned as he felt the snow shift around him. Wait, that wasn't snow, it was ground! And it felt warm too...

Spyro opened his eyes as he moved his legs. He saw that he was in a dimly lit cave, a bright light at the end, presumably the entrance and a small fire burning nearby. There was a blanket covering Spyro as it was nice and thick. Spyro sat up as he took in the cave more, details flooding his mind. There weren't any figures he could make out around, though there was a deeper section of the cave behind him.

"Oh, I see you finally woke up! I was getting worried there for a second." A voice came from the area behind him, causing Spyro to turn. Before him stood a yeti in white fur with two horns coming out the back of his head. Two large blue eyes looked at him as the yeti walked over to the fire right next to Spyro.

"Wh-where am I?" Spyro asked.

"Oh you're in my cave! I found you out in the snow, by yourself. Brought you back here, that storm would've killed you out there." The yeti said back at him. He had a heavy Australian accent.

"Oh, thanks!" Spyro said. He still felt the cold lingering a bit, even with the warmth of the blanket and fire around him.

"Oh, almost forgot, name's Bently!" The large yeti smiled down at Spyro as he offered a bowl of warm stew. Spyro smiled and took it, sipping down some of the juice and softly chewing the meat.

"I'm S-spyro." He said back.

"Are you? You're that purple dragon aren't you...?"

"Yeah, I am."

"Oh it's so great to meet you Mr. Spyro!" Bently said as he took Spyro's hand and shook it. Spyro chuckled a bit as he tried to return it in an awkward fassion.

"You sure gave it to that Malefor dragon, right mate?" Bently finally stopped shaking his paw aggressively. Spyro retracted his paw a bit as he softly rubbed it under the blanket.

"Yeah, but he's back..." Spyro said with a sad tone. Bently took in a deep breath himself.

"Yeah I heard as much. He even set up shop up here in my mountains. Brought those Ape friends of his with him too."

"Have you seen him around lately?" Spyro asked.

"No, I think he left south a few days ago. Haven't seen him back yet."

"I see..."

"You here to take him down again?"

"Yeah, at least I hope so. Things aren't going too well..."

"Oh I see... Things are just bad everywhere."

"Are they just as bad everywhere else?" Spyro asked as Bently made the comment.

"You know it. Worse in some cases. Especially up north in the mainland and to the far east and west. Things are just as bad, very bad. I came from the east myself, traveled here with my brother when he was just a baby. We left our home because it was in the middle of a civil war. Came here and we found Cynder and her armies of Apes. That and her master, Malefor and Gaul."

"I see... Wait, so the Dark Master's forces haven't reached those areas?" Spyro asked. He had always thought the Dark Master was a world-wide problem.

"That I'm not sure. Where I lived we had our own problems. My family left our native lands through a small path in our mountain range. On the other side of the mountain range and across the ocean that split the land in two, we were introduced to Malefor, Cynder and all of these problems."

"Ignitus never told me of those lands."

"Ignitus? Isn't he one of the Guardians?"

"Was."

"Ah... So now it's just down to three..."

"There were more?"

"Oh from what I heard, lots more! One for every element. I heard they all died in the war against Cynder and the Apes. The four were all that remained. Now I guess its three." Bently said. Spyro frowned. Just how many Guardians had there been? If they were still alive, just how much of a force would they have been able to field against the Dark Master? They could've been able to do much more if they just had more help... The Humans and Lakadors were invaluable allies but they only numbered so many. They needed an army of several thousand to tackle the forces of the Dark Master head on.

"In fact, speaking of Cynder I swore I saw a dragon that looked just like her heading up through the forests this morning."

"You saw Cynder?!" Spyro said, standing up swiftly.

"Yeah, but she looked much younger, not the large beast people made her out to be. She looked just like her though, was so strange."

"That was Cynder! Please, can you tell me where she is?"

"What, that's Cynder? Why do you want to find her?"

"I just have to find her, please! She's not evil anymore, she was being used by the Dark Master. She's in her younger self now!" Spyro said almost frantically.

"Woah! Woah! One thing at a time! She's not evil anymore?" Bently said as he tried to slow the dragon down. Spyro took a deep breath.

"No, I defeated her 4 years ago. She reverted back to her younger form and has since helped me fight the Dark Master. She ran away after our battle in Warfang and I must find her." Spyro said as he took a stern stance before Bently.

"Oh... I see now." He said softly, nodding all the while.

"Wh-what?" Spyro said, stuttering a bit.

Bently chuckled.

"Alright, alright, I'll help you find her."

"You will? Thank you so much!"

"Right ol' mate, hey little bro, we're going on a hike!" Bently called

"A hike? Oh boy! Hey is that dragon thing awake yet?" A smaller yeti walked into the cave, looking very much like a miniature Bently.

"Barthelomew, this here is Spyro and we're going to go find his friend." Bently said while grabbing a large club made of ice from the side of the cave. Spyro smiled

"Thank you so much."

End of Chapter 36


	37. The Winter Tundra

Chapter 37: The Winter Tundra

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

May 7, 2204

1312 Hours

Forests Surrounding Eastern Mountain Banks

Bently marched in front of Spyro, carrying his club as they walked outside. A small scarf blew in the wind as it sat snuggly around Spyro's neck. The storm had subsided, the sun once again breaking through the clouds and hitting Spyro's scales. It still felt cold as hell outside, but at least it was more bearable for the young dragon. The smaller brother, Bartholomew, followed right behind, almost hopping through the snow.

They had been walking for a little while now, disembarking from Bently's cave and heading into the surrounding forests in search of Cynder. Bently said he saw her nearby in the forests heading up the mountain side only hours before and to Spyro, that was a lead he needed to pursue...

"So Spyro, tell me more about Warfang, that dragon city. I've heard about it a few times already but I've never been there myself." Bently said while turning his head slightly, trying to initiate a conversation.

"Warfang?" Spyro asked, snapping out of his thoughts. He finally connected his thoughts again, grunting softly as he remembered the city.

"It's a beautiful city... er, was. Was built by the moles to honor the dragons but for as long as I remember its been under attack by Malefor's forces. Me and my friends were pushed back there along with what forces we had left and Malefor crushed us..." He said, rubbing his head softly.

"Oh that's too bad... Where are your friends now?"

"They're around here somewhere... trying to move up the mountain and attack the Dark Master's citadel."

"Well why aren't ya there with them? Could really give a good one to Malefor." Bartholomew said while punching in the air, skipping in front of Spyro. Spyro smirked a bit but suddenly felt a pang of guilt. He had left them to search for Cynder, and probably blew their best chance to take down the citadel here and now. Why wasn't he with them?

Bently noticed his silence and turned his head to look at Spyro who was walking slower now.

"Spyro?" Bently asked.

"Oh! I uh... well I guess I should be helping them, shouldn't I..." Spyro said softly as he looked at the snow. Bently stopped and turned to face Spyro, placing the club on his shoulder.

"You're out looking for your friend, that's why." Bently said softly. Spyro stopped as well.

"But I should be there helping them..."

"Yeah, maybe. Though you're here looking for your pal, someone you care deeply about. I'm sure they're doing fine right now." Bently said. Spyro took in a deep breath before raising his head.

"Yeah, I guess so..." Spyro said.

"What's this then? Why's he so upset." Bartholomew said while hopping around in the snow again.

"Oh don't worry, you'll understand when you're older."

"Oh but I want to know now! Come on big bro!" Bartholomew whined.

Bently simply chuckled and softly pet his head, getting a pouting look from Bartholomew.

"Right then, let's keep going." Bently said as he turned and walked. Spyro followed a little closer this time, Bartholomew just right behind.

"So Bently, what was your home like, you know, without the Dark Master and everything?" Spyro asked as Bently placed his club on his shoulder again.

"Well, can't say it was much better there. Like I said, everyone was fighting each other. Wasn't very pretty. Though, things didn't always seem like that. Guess the violence just spilled over to where we were, so we left."

"I see..."

"For the time it was peaceful though, it was nice. The mountain range we lived in overlooked a valley that would just take your breath away. There were different tribes who all spoke their own languages, traded and lived free of any tyranny, until the violence came and oh did it come... Pretty soon they were all fighting one another for supremacy."

"Were there any dragons there?" Spyro asked, curious as he heard of Bently talk of different tribes.

"Come to think of it? No. I hadn't even heard of a dragon until we crossed the Ocean that Split the Land in Two. Once we crossed over we heard tales of these large creatures that used to dominate the continent, now no more. We had seen several tribes of reptilian creatures though, but no dragons."

"That's strange... Guess we never made it over there then." Spyro said. It was kind of interesting for an area to have no knowledge of dragons, considering how powerful they used to be. Man Spyro wished he could have seen them when they were in their prime... just to see the cities up north Bently talked about.

"It's so strange I've never heard of half the creatures over here, up until we arrived here I didn't even know this land existed. Our family lived there for generations until one day we crossed the ocean and found this place. It's amazing really." Bently finally said.

"It is so strange, two worlds living right next to each other... What kept people from crossing the ocean to learn of one another?" Spyro asked.

"To be honest, I'm not sure. We never even thought about the prospect until my father decided one day to do it. Then we never looked back since..." The yeti kept walking forward after that, Spyro watching them as they continued to trudge through the snow. Eventually they reached what looked like a small gorge, a frozen river running through it as pine trees occupied every inch of space around them.

"Well, this is where I saw her. Right over there." Bently said as he pointed his club towards the small frozen stream.

"I saw her trudging through the snow, as if trying to sneak up on the citadel." Spyro then noticed the black citadel in the sunlight as it sat embedded in the mountain, in plain sight as the trees parted in such a way that presented a perfect portrait of it and its dominating figure over the landscape.

"I'll bet if we follow this river, we'll find more clues as to where she is now. I'm pretty sure that storm prevented her from going far." Bently said. The storm... Spyro now felt a chill in him. He almost didn't make it out there. He hoped Cynder had taken shelter from it. Perhaps she was still there.

"Alright, let's go." Spyro said. Bently nodded as Bartholomew sat right behind, trying to peer over their shoulders. They moved along the riverbed, finding little in the way of clues as the freshly fallen snow had covered up any traces of her paw prints. Unrelenting, they kept on. The bright sun cast a brilliant light upon the frost as they walked, Spyro watching as he breathed softly. It really did look beautiful. Up until now, the only snow he had seen was from Dante's Freezer and its open plains and old ruins. This forest... it was so... breathtaking. There was no simple way to put it.

"Hold up..." Bently said softly as he crouched and held his hand up in front of Spyro to stop him. The river bed turned a bit, heading uphill more as they could see a small group of Apes walking towards them. Due to the turn in the river and curve of the land, the Apes couldn't see them just yet.

"Oh I hate these little blokes... Been prancing all over my mountain for months now..." Bently said softly.

"Clean their clock big bro!" Bartholomew said softly, Bently instructing him to speak softer with a silent shush.

"Oh, sorry." He said

"Wanna take these guys out or let them... Spyro?" Bently said as he turned. Spyro had already started making his way forward through the trees adjacent to the riverbed.

"Stay here Bartholomew, we'll take care of them." Bently said softly as he tried to do the same, a little unsuccessful due to his large size.

The trio of Apes who wandered in the snow stopped as one was messing with his armor, the others seeming to scold him for something in their string of chants and grunts. Spyro was the first to make a move, leaping from the trees and catching the last Ape in his claws, sending him into the snow behind the others. This caught their attention as they turned, giving Bently the chance to charge. Upon hearing the large creature advancing, the two Apes turned and saw a large mass of fur, muscle and club hurling at them. They didn't even get a chance to react before they were sent flying by his club and into the nearest tree. The Ape Spyro had struggled but Spyro bit him in the neck, silencing him. Spyro got up softly, feeling an inherent anger for loosing all that he had cared about in the past few weeks. Nothing was going to stop him. He was going to find Cynder.

"Spyro mate, you alright?" Bently asked as he jogged over, Bartholomew running up right behind as well.

"Huh, oh! Right!" Spyro said, snapping out of it.

"Alright, well we better get going then." Bently said as he ushered Spyro onwards. Spyro nodded as he took a deep breath, trotting in pursuit of them.

They continued on their way again, snow falling softly from a few clouds the dotted the sky, covering the now fresh bodies they left behind. Spyro sighed softly as he didn't know what had gotten over him... he just felt... angry. That's all he could really say. He shook his head softly to expel the thoughts from his head, following close behind Bently who had shouldered his club.

Their journey went uninterrupted for a little while, the silent sounds of their footsteps crushing into the snow below them resonating in the otherwise dead calm of the forest. Bartholomew walked behind Spyro, er, hopped rather. The happy-go-lucky fellow made Spyro feel at peace a bit, a sense of innocence at least calming his nerves as the cold had long failed to do that.

The riverbed by this time had all but vanished under the layers of snow everywhere, forest just ahead of them now.

"Well mate... you want to keep looking on? I don't know what other main path to follow from here." Bently said softly as he turned to Spyro. Spyro looked out into the still scene, taking in a deep breath before looking up at the yeti.

"I know she's out there somewhere. I have to keep going." He said. Bently nodded.

"Right then! One thing though, its all forest beyond here. The only noticeable landmark is a castle-like temple that follows the mountain's edge. That's pretty far from here." Bently said. Spyro took in another deep breath before nodding softly.

"I understand."

"Right, well I have your back." Bently said in response.

"I do too!" Bartholomew said as he hopped up in the snow. Spyro smiled a bit before turning back to the forest, waiting just a second before he stepped into it. The two yetis followed right behind, the stillness of the forest taking up the space they left vacant as snow slowly filled their footprints.

1522 Hours

"Damn it." Karson said as the snow blew out his small fire.

"Hey, no lights, the Apes might catch us out here." Allison said as she walked by, Karson kicking out what little embers remained as the snow storm still blew around them.

"Yeah, yeah I know..." Karson said as he pulled his scarf up a bit. The rocky cove had, for the most part, shielded the Nighthawk and Sparrowhawk from the snow. They had just seen Zephyr off a little while ago along with hunter, the biggest thing on their minds now was where in the hell Spyro and Wagner were. That old bastard was wounded, how could he have just wandered off like that?

"Still no sign of the el tee?" Allison asked as a few other of the Marines with them kept themselves warm.

"Nope, no sign... I have no idea why he would wander off like that, let alone Spyro."

"Out in this storm they could've both gotten killed..." Allison said with a low voice. Karson sighed in agreement. As they stood, the snow continued to bombard them, causing them to move towards the drop ships. Karson was managing to get by using his fire abilities to heat his body. Allison managed to cancel out the cold with her abilities.

As they stood near the tail of the Sparrow, Karson could see something in the snow drifts. He squinted a bit, seeing a large dragon. He grabbed his rifle, brushing off the frost as he tried to make them out better. Allison, seeing Karson make for his weapon grabbed her own as she looked out, seeing the creature as well.

Karson continued to watch them as they just stared back errily.

"That thing is giving me the creeps..." Allison said softly.

"So you can see it too?"

"Of course... I wonder if it's hostile."

"I hope not... Maybe it's a survivor from Warfang, here to help." Karson said as he lowered his weapon a bit.

"I don't know... I think-"

Suddenly an explosion blew snow into the air as the figure drew nearer, seeming to fire at them as the other soldiers got up from their spots, grabing their own weapons.

"Contact!" One said, seeing the creature. The dragon reared its head back, a blue beam firing at them as it hit near the aircraft, blowing snow and dirt into the air.

"Engage!" Karson said as he crouched, firing his rifle as spent casings flew into the snow. He hadn't even bothered to suppress his weapon. Too late now...

Thankfully the storm drowned out the sounds of their weapons' fire, anybody outside of their little cove oblivious to anything happening there.

The creature seemed unphased by their actions. He seemed to just stand there, once in a while firing a beam at them as it detonated harmlessly to the side. Karson alligned his sights so they sat directly on the dragon's chest. He held the trigger down, emptying his entire magazine until he heard the weapon clicking. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. The same dragon he had been aiming at fired another beam at them, hitting an area a few feet in front of him. The impact was so close it caused him to back up, the heat splashing over him as the snow quickly covered up the scorched ground where it impacted.

"The hell, are we even hitting them?!" One Marine yelled. He seemed to speak the thoughts every one of the soldiers was thinking as they fired their entire magazine at them to no effect. One even fired a rocket, it vanishing into the snow as it neared the figure.

"What in the...?" He asked softly. Karson held his fire, not wanting to waste another preasious magazine of rounds, seeing as the others had gone to burst firing, having no effect still.

The dragon finally stopped its attacks as the Marines fired less rounds at them because of the lack of affects they were having. Karson stared at the dragons as they seemed to stare at them for the longest time before one of them flapped its large wings and sailing into the air. The others did the same, taking off after the first one.

Karson watched for a while before running into the Sparrowhawk, Allison running after him.

"What're you doing?" Allison asked as she ran in through the back ramp.

"We gotta follow them!" Karson said as he pulled off his scarf, running into the cockpit where the pilot and co-pilot had seen the whole thing.

"Get this bird airborne, we gotta follow those dragons." Karson said. The pilots turned to look at him before the pilot started flipping at the switches, causing the aircraft to come to life.

"Can you even track him?" Allison asked as she panted.

"As long as I can breathe yeah." The pilot remarked, having a sort of southern accent as she flipped another dial.

A few of the Marines trotted in from outside, the others staying with the Nighthawk as the ramp closed.

Spears and another Marine stood in the troop bay as they held onto the side, the aircraft saling into the air and out of the cove. They flew up and around the bend, tracking the creatures as they moved along the eastern side of the mountains.

"Where do you think he's going?" Allison asked Karson as he stood in the cockpit, watching the almost white canopy.

"I don't know... but he didn't attack us and not harm any of us on purpose... he wanted us to follow him. Think about it." He said. It did sort of make sense. She didnt know why any of their attacks didn't work but why would he attack them, not harm a single one of them, then just take off like that? Something was odd. Then again, everything was odd.

"Hold on, things are going to get choppy." The pilot said as she directed the aircraft in-between several mountains, expertly dodging them as she flew low to avoid detection. Eventually the storm started to subside as they emerged from a large cloud, seeing a clear expanse beyond them as they flew along the edge of the mountain. They could make out the dragon in the distance as they kept just shy of dissapearing from sight. The Sparrowhawk banked over another mountain top as it kept in hot pursuit, never loosing sight of him.

1645 Hours

Eastern Mountain banks

Spyro sat in a small crevice, shivering softly as Bently stoked a small fire. They had been searching for Cynder now for several hours in this forest and had found absolutely nothing. Only snow and pine trees met their every foot stride. Complicating this was that nightfall was fast approaching and now they sat in this small crevice the side of the mountain.

"Looks like another small storm's blowing in. Don't know why they keep coming so frequently now." Bently said as he looked outside, seeing the clouds forming in the distance as the sun started its descent. Spyro sighed softly. No clues, no sightings, nothing. They had nothing. He turned to look outside as the clouds blew over the mountains in the distance, creating a beautiful scene as storm clouds loomed in the distance once more. As Spyro looked out, he could see the form of a dragon standing out among a hilltop, looking down on the group. Bently seemed to not even notice it as Spyro continued to look out, squinting into the snow clouds as they passed over the mountains.

Spyro started moving out of the cave, Bently turning to see this and was surprised.

"Spyro, you see something?" Bently asked with an quizzical look. Spyro just walked to the mouth of the cave, looking at the figure as it slipped away behind the banks. Spyro dashed out and into the snow.

"Wait! Spyro! Bartholomew come on!" Bently said as he grabbed his club and dashed out into the snow.

"Oh, do we have to?!" Bartholomew said as he ran out as well. Spyro ran up the side of mountain and into the nearby forest. The dragon figure dashed through the trees ahead of Spyro, leaping from side to side as snow was kicked up. Spyro gave chase, trying to catch up. He had to find out who this was, he just had to!

"Wait up! Spyro, hold up mate!" Bently yelled as he tried to keep pace. Snow started to fall all around them again as they ventured deep into the forest, the darkening sky casting a veil over them as the forest seemed to just draw them deeper in. Spyro continued on, following the figure as it danced from tree to tree, encasing Spyro in a trance-like state as he saw the figure moving across his vision in a dazzling sense, making him forget everything else...

Before long Spyro stood panting in the snow as Bently and Bartholomew came up behind, also low on breath as Spyro coughed a bit.

"What... what's gotten... into you...?" Bently asked. Spyro finally realized just what he did.

"I uh... thought I saw something..." Spyro felt embarrassed. Who was that dragon? Why did he keep seeing him over and over again? What did he want?

Bently looked out ahead and grunted as he walked over, ushering Spyro to look over.

"Looks like we found the temple... and covered the ground in less than an hour..." He said as they looked over towards the structure.

They were standing along the edge of a cliff where the forest sat. Below them was a large chasm that stretched out to another cliff face opposite of them that went up along the mountain the citadel was perched on. Embedded in the cliff face was a structure- almost a compound as several caves dotted the Cliffside. Behind the compound there was a large wall that was made of rock, with the shield wall directly on top of it. Spyro looked at it hard. There seemed to be an entrance into the wall that went beyond the barrier...

The structure seemed to be a fortress that went through the barrier, this had to be a crossing point!

"Ah, the Winter Tundra." Bently said softly.

"Winter Tundra?" Spyro asked.

"Yeah, it's part of old Avalar." Bently explianed.

"Does it go beyond that shield wall?" Spyro asked.

"I think it does, the temple has a passage that goes straight through the wall but I believe its blocked right now." Bently said. Spyro sighed as he looked at it. The damn place was teeming with Apes! Looking harder he could see one of the drones standing in front of the main gate that went into the compound. It looked like one of the larger ones, the Drone Grenadiers. An Ape seemed to be trying to command it, telling it to patrol the area. The drone was non-responsive though. It ignored him entirely, just standing like a hawk at that post. Were the drones only under the Dark Master's command? It didn't make sense though, since Spyro would have thought then either he'd be the commander, or would follow the commands of someone on the ground, such as the Ape. Spyro sighed softly, examining the area more as he saw several caves that seemed to line the cliff-side. Looking harder Spyro could make out that dragon, sitting on the cliff-side, watching him!

Spyro repressed an impulse to just leap off and pursue him, instead letting out a soft grunt.

"Something up mate?" Bently asked.

"We have to search the compound." He said.

"You ready to deal with all those blokes down there?" Bently asked as he shouldered his club.

"You bet I am." Spyro said with a concentrated gaze. Bently chuckled.

"Alright, I know a way we can catch them off guard. We'll take them by surprise."

Bently started along the side of the cliff that moved towards the Winter Tundra. Spyro followed in closely as they made their way around. Spyro kept watch on the plateau in front of the fortress, that Drone Grenadier standing like a hawk as Ape guards moved back and forth. When they were halfway there seemed to be more activity down there. Stopping for a glance, Spyro saw a group of Apes holding a dragon about his age as they were obviously being held prisoner. They Apes took the prisoner to the Ape Spyro assumed was the Commander, the Ape who was yelling at the drone just earlier.

He squinted, trying to make out the details on the dragon, seeing it was... a female! She had... black scales... red underbelly... it was Cynder! Spyro moved closer to the edge as he looked on, watching the spectical. She was being presented to the Commander, looking beaten as two Apes held her up. One of the Apes was talking to the Commander, telling him something that was humerous, he letting out an obvious chuckle. The other Apes patrolling let out laughs too, some cheering or throwing objects at her. The Grublins nearby did the same, chanting something Spyro couldn't hear. The Commander approached Cynder and grabbed her head, saying something to her before hitting her and letting the Apes drag her away as he laughed.

Spyro couldn't take it anymore. He flapped his wings, preparing to lift off to rescue her when he felt a tug at his tail.

"Wait Spyro! Don't do anything rash!" Bently said as he held Spyro down.

"But I have to help her! She needs my help!" Spyro said, still struggling.

"Yes but that won't help her, we charge headlong in they might relocate her or worse. We have to sneak in." Bently said. Spyro finally calmed down, breathing hard.

"Alright..." He finally said.

Bently released Spyro, he taking in a deep breath before nodding to Bently who turned to move along the cliff once more. Spyro followed close behind with Bartholomew.

They finally were just parallel to the plateau, a small footpath moving from the forest above towards the Winter Tundra just beyond.

Bently moved so he could inch across, pressing his back against the wall as he held the club tight so it didn't fall. Spyro joined him on the footpath, slowly making his way over. Bently reached the other side and issued a warning to his brother to stay put where he was as Spyro made it to the other side as well. They moved in the shadows of the cliffs and took cover behind a rock as an Ape patrol moved nearby. Two catapults had been set up recently here as well, though they looked empty for the time being. Spyro wasn't sure what purpose they were to serve but they might as well take them out.

From here there were two ways to go: up and down. Up went to the main gate and the Grenadier, and down went to where they took Cynder. He'd have to secure Cynder before anything else. He didn't want any harm to come to her.

"Alright mate, we got several patrols moving around, wanna go free your friend down there before the fireworks start?" Bently asked softly.

"Right..." Spyro said softly.

"Right, I'll stay here and stop anymore patrols from heading down there. Go and free your friend." Bently said. Spyro nodded as he waited for a patrol up ahead to turn around before leaping out from his cover to the path nearby. He quickly descended where he spotted the patrol from earlier, grunting as they were going towards the cave. He reached the base of the path that lead to the cave, slapping his back against the rocky wall as he peeked inside. Inside was what appeared to be a derelict portal. The arch ascended from the ground but was empty as a few Apes sat inside, cleaning their weapons and keeping warm. The patrol seemed to be talking with them and in the back of the cave sat a black figure- Cynder.

Spyro's heart started to race as he saw this, almost leaping to engage them as he calmed himself. She appeared to be unconscious and was bruised. The Apes had obviously abused and beaten her. They had to pay. All of them.

Without further hesitation Spyro moved into the cave. A waterfall in the back dumped water into a small pond and river that flowed through the mouth of the cave and emptied off of the cliff. Spyro moved through the water, which announced his arrival to the other Apes in the cave.

The Apes spun around, seeing Spyro leap into the cave as water was kicked onto the cave floor. One of the apes let out a screech before Spyro bit him in the neck, tackling him over. The others sprung to action, grabbing for their swords and weapons. Spyro didn't let them.

Spyro unleashed a wave of fire that engulfed the group before him. They yelled and writhed in pain before falling in the river to be carried off. One ape escaped Spyro's wrath, managing to have leapt in the pool of water nearby as he tried to swim away. Spyro growled. He wouldn't let any of these bastards get away. He leapt into the water as well, grabbing his leg and dragging him back to his fate.

Spyro emerged a few moments later, panting heavily as he looked onto the body of his friend... of Cynder. Her chest rose and fell softly as she had slept through the ordeal. He walked over and licked her cheek softly, feeling a deep pang of sorrow for allowing this to happen. He would make things right. He would make them all pay...

He dashed out of the cave and back up to meet up with Bently. They were going to clear this fortress. As he ascended up, he saw Bently still behind the rock, waiting for his friend to return.

"You find your friend mate?" Bently asked, seeing the dragon return with a solemn look on him.

"Yeah... she's alright. Let's clear this place out." He said softly. Bently nodded, understanding as he shifted his body weight.

"You ready?" Bently asked. Spyro nodded as well, staring down the Drone.

"Right, let's go." Bently said as he leapt over the rock and used the shadow coming off the fortress wall to get close to an Ape sentry who was standing by the main door. Spyro went right behind him, growling lowly as Bently raised his club preparing to engage. The Ape heard something behind him and turned to see Bently's club contact.

After that, all hell broke loose.

The Drone turned, sensing something amiss as the Ape's body slowly fell from the fortress wall. Another Ape let out a soft grunt as Spyro leapt in for the kill, snagging him around the neck as Spyro brought the Ape down with his own body weight. The Drone muttered something unintelligible to Spyro, the others springing to action as they ran for their weapons, arrows already pelting the ground near Spyro as he flew off the dead Ape to avoid them. Bently yelled as he swung his club, smacking several arrows out of the air as Orcs continued to fire them. Apes charged with swords as the Ape commander grabbed at his own club that radiated with elemental energy.

The Drone raised its arm, the cannon mounted on it glowing purple as it aimed at Spyro.

"Look out mate!" Bently yelled. Spyro grunted, sailing to the side to avoid the bolt of energy that sailed from its arm, detonating as it made contact with the ground. Spyro landed on the ground skidding as the Drone lowered its arm to cool it down, the Ape commander rushing them now. Bently ran in his path, blocking his club with his own as the two stood at a dead even, struggling to gain a footing over the other as their clubs grinded together. Spyro leapt forward, going to deal with the Drone.

Bently roared as the Commander brought his sword down, sending a bright wave of energy which Bently slammed his ice club down to counter. This send a wave of kinetic energy that burst through the elemental energy and dispirsed it, giving enough room for Bently to avoid the blast. Several smaller Apes rushed the large yeti, he sensing them and retrieving his club from the ground and slamming it headlong into their chests.

The Commander came again, trying to slash into the yeti with his sharp blade. Bently wouldn't have any of it. He brought his club around again and smashed it into the blade. He growled at the Commander as they both fought hard, the blade and the club meeting at full contact and not moving. Finally Bently relented and let the Commander fall into his attack before rolling out from underneath and smashing his club into the backside of the Ape's head, sending him down. More Apes rushed Bently, who leapt off of the Commander's back and rolled to the side, avoiding their arrows as Spyro and the drone dueled.

The drone stood its ground, aiming its arm once more as another bolt sailed by Spyro. Spyro rolled to the side and skid to a halt as the ground near him erupted in fire and smoke. Spyro grunted as he regained himself, leaping towards the Drone who raised its arm to block Spyro who grabbed it and tried to knock the Drone down. The larger creature stood its ground, swinging his arm and sending Spyro into the ground. Spyro immediately opened his muzzle and unleased a jet of fire onto the drone who walked into it, his large feet threatening to crush Spyro. Spyro backed up and used more fire, it not affecting the creature at all as it aimed point blank at Spyro with its cannon arm.

Spyro gasped and rolled to the side, the round destroying the area he was just at. Regaining his footing, he switched to electricity,remembering how effective it was against the grenediers in Warfang. Electricity sprang forth from his maw, striking against the drone, causing it to shudder and fall to its knees, it quickly fired its energy cannon to defiance.

Spyro, unable to remain where he was, flew upwards, canceling his beam as a bolt flew where he had been standing. Firing another beam of electricity, Spyro hit the drone but arrows flying nearby caused Spyro to fly higher, the Apes trying to shoot him out of the sky.

Spyro strafed the Drone as the Apes joined him, cracks of electricity hitting the drone, near or even some of the Ape soldiers who ran by, causing them to yell in pain before falling over.

The gates to the compound opened up, Apes pouring out to challenge them as Bently knocked down another group of Apes who had come from a side cavern.

"You alright mate?!" Bently asked as he stood up, yelling out to Spyro who flapped his wings as the Drone fired another shot at him.

"A little busy!" Spyro yelled back. Bently chuckled before raising his club and running at the Apes who were forming in front of the gates. They heard his heavy footsteps before several were smacked away by his powerful club.

Spyro landed on top of the stone walls as he charged a powerful beam of electricity, firing it right at the drone as it impacted, the force and shock blowing one of its legs at the knees, crystalline pieces scattering across the ground. The drone fell backwards, landing on its back as it fired another shot off, missing by a wide angle, hitting the mountains beyond. Spyro fired another shot, hitting it in the chest as it started to crack. Firing more shots, Spyro managed to shoot off its large cannon arm and finally the last shot shattered the drone to pieces. Purple gasses escaped from the crystal body as parts broke off, sparks of electricity still sparking from the fallen creature.

At the sight of the drone's death, the Apes and Orcs there retreated back into the compound, Bently just smashing into the panicking creatures as he smashed them against the stone wall. Spyro flew in too, landing in the central courtyard.

In the center stood a vacant portal, like the ones outside as well but on a much larger scale. Apes retreated up the stairs to the central structure in the back, Bently busy smashing several Apes in the courtyard to notice. Spyro smirked as he swooped in to take care of them.

Spyro landed in front of the small group of Apes, some of them dropping their swords in shock as Spyro flapped his wings, smirking at them. They dropped to their knees, pleading as Spyro watched, frowning a little. He wasn't a merciless killer... though he wasn't sure if he could take prisoners. Spyro turned around, seeing the door they were running to. The large door lead into the structure deeper, maybe even beyond the barrier that sat above this structure.

"How do you open this door?" Spyro asked, turning back around.

"A key, you need a key!" One Ape sputtered.

"What kind of key...?" Spyro asked again.

"Orbs! Orbs, that's what he said! You need orbs to open this door! It'll take you passed the barrier, I swear!" He said in return.

Orbs... What about those... Spyro's eyes widened, remembering the stones he had received while in the coastal villages by Warfang. He wondered how many he needed... regardless, he knew how to get passed the barrier now.

"Get out of here." He said simply to them. They nodded softly, almost petrified. Sighing, Spyro went into a battle pose and made a slight move at them, causing them to yell in fear and run off the sides of the temple, scattering wherever they could go. Chuckling softly, Spyro walked down the stairs, seeing Bently finishing up as he walked over to him.

"Oh boy, well that was a work out. You alright?" He asked. Spyro nodded, turning back to the door upstairs.

"I need orbs to get that door open back there. It's the only way beyond the barrier." He said. Bently nodded.

"We need to get some orbs then." He said to Spyro.

"My friends have some... wish they were here..." Spyro said as he looked down.

"Well least you found your other friend, right?"

"Oh! Cynder!" Spyro yelled, remembering the young dragoness. He darted outside of the courtyard and to the tundra's exterior. He dashed down the path to the small cave, his paws splashing in the cold water as the stream continued to filter water through the small cave. Cynder still sat on the ground, breathing softly as she was still asleep. Spyro sat there, looking at her as his heart leapt up. She was there. Right there. He had found her at last.

He walked over to her, breathing softly before kneeling down to feel her soft scales.

He didn't even notice another figure standing in the cave with him.

Without warning, Spyro felt himself being launched into the cave wall, his body hitting the rocks hard, he letting out a rough yell as he landed beside the waterfall that dumped water into the room.

Spyro looked up, seeing the beaten Ape commander as he panted, his body heavily injured from his fight with Bently.

"I knew it'd only be a matter of time... before you showed up..." The Ape commander spoke lowly as he spit into the river, lumbering over towards Spyro. Spyro got back up, growling at him.

"Oh... how cute. You think you'll get anything out of... protecting her? This... bitch?! She's a dirty traitor... she deserved every little bit of torture I had my soldiers do to her..." He chuckled softly. Spyro growled lowly.

"You bastard... you'll pay for what you've done!" Spyro said, almost spitting as rage boiled in him. The commander merely laughed. He stumbled softly over to Cynder before kneeling down himself and stroking her scales softly.

"Oh yes, we enjoyed doing everything we could to her..."

"You get your hands off of her, you sick piece of shit!" Spyro yelled. He finally ran out over the stream and towards the Ape. He merely side stepped him, Spyro's head slamming into the cave wall as he staggered back, gripping his face.

"That's it... feel that? Feels great doesn't it..."

Spyro panted, letting his paws drift from his face as his eyes were filled with a blind rage.

Spyro leapt again, trying to hit the Ape once more. This time, he used his large fist to smack him in the face. His fist connected, ending his momentum and sending Spyro into the snow as he slowly got back up. The commander kicked Spyro while he was down, causing him to double over.

"You're weak, every bit as weak as her. The Dark Master will make short work of you... all of you... You will all be either his slaves, or just another rotting corpse dotting the landscape once he takes over..." The commander grabbed Spyro by the throat and brought him up.

"Just a reminder... to all those who oppose him... Maybe you can join Cynder, somewhere on a random hill top..."

Spyro growled more, panting faster and faster as he clenched his eyes shut.

"...both of your skeletons whipped by the winds, buried and lost to all of history..."

Something in Spyro snapped. The image of that burned into his head, creating a scene of absolute hell. This could not happen. This will not happen. Spyro will stop this. He would stop all of this.

Spyro's eyes began to glow purple, his scales letting off a small glow as he panted louder and louder, a growl also escaping his muzzle as he grabbed at the Ape's arms.

The Ape's smirk was gone as he watched the dragon before him turn, blackness encompassing his body. Finally Spyro looked up at the Ape silently, the Ape returning the silent look. Finally Spyro unleashed a wave of energy that shot the Ape back and into a wall, his arms releasing the dragon. Spyro hovered there for a second as a purple haze slowly escaped off his body. Before the Ape could get back up, Spyro was on top of him, pinning his head to the ground with his paw on his throat, growling lowly.

"The only one that dies tonight is you." Spyro said in a demonic voice. Spyro opened his muzzle, a ball of energy appearing slowly as the Ape looked up at him in sheer terror.

The beam left his muzzle and incinerated the Ape's head. There wasn't much left after Spyro finally disembarked the lifeless creature. He panted softly, rage still coursing through his veins.

"You alright mate..,.?" Spyro turned, seeing Bently walking into the room slowly, seeing the darkness emanating from the purple dragon. Spyro growled at him, approaching.

"Woah Spyro! Calm down mate, it's over, she's safe."

"No... it's too late... far too late!" Spyro yelled.

"Calm down mate, she's safe, it's over." Bently replied reassuringly. Spyro continued to vent his rage.

"Spyro!" Bently yelled now.

"Spyro." A new voice sounded off. A female's voice at that. It was soft... and it belonged to...

"Cynder...?" Spyro turned, seeing the black dragoness looking at him as she sat up, holding her body up with her arms as she looked at him.

"Cynder..." Spyro walked over to her, the darkness starting to fade as he stood in front of her. Her eyes held deep sorrow as tears fell down. She softly placed her muzzle agaisnt his, closing her eyes. Spyro did the same, his eyes slowly closing as his body returned to his normal purple hue. Bently took in a deep breath of relief. Smiling, he left the cave to let them visit with one another.

"Spyro... I'm so, so sorry..."

"Don't be... I should be..."

"No... I should never have left, I was scared..."

"It's ok, I'm here. We're both here."

Cynder slowly took a step back, looking at him, tears still dripping from her face.

Spyro brought one of his claws up, whiping it away softly. He felt a great... peace wash over him. His rage was gone, his anger sated.

"Spyro... can we... can we ever overcome our darkness...?" Cynder asked, fear in her voice.

Spyro thought about that statement. This entire time, their darkness had been the seed of all their issues. Cynder's corruption... Spyro's anger... They had to overcome it. But... how?

"Cynder I..." He looked at her, tears falling from her eyes.

"We can Cynder, I think we can." He softly nuzzled her as he brought a wing to shield her softly.

"How though..." She said.

"I don't know Cynder. I really don't... but, we can fight it. We can fight it together... not alone. We can't do it alone..." He didn't know if that was right or not, it just... felt right to say, you know?

Cynder was silent for a bit before nodding softly, sniffing.

"Together...?" She asked, looking up at him with her deep green eyes.

"Together." The tone of his voice and the look he gave her portrayed a sense of confidence and security that she hadn't felt in a long time. It felt... well, it felt great. But one thing lingered in her mind, if he meant together...

"Does that mean...?"

It was Spyro's turn to be silent now. He sat there, looking at her with his solemn face before it softly broke, he taking in a deep breath as if he had been preparing himself mentally for this one act.

"Cynder, I want you to be my mate..." Cynder's eyes went wide, the breath leaving her as she was left speechless.

"I... I..." She muttered, not being able to vocalize her thoughts. Spyro continued to look at her with the most sincere and inquisitive look he could muster, every second after that feeling like an hour.

"Will you... be my mate?" Spyro asked, following up the previous statement. His voice cracked a bit, showing a bit of vulnerability on his side, no doubt he was just as nervous as she was. Taking in a deep breath, she closed her eyes. She reopened them, smiling as she reset her composure.

"Of course I will. There is no other male on this planet I would could imagine myself with..." She said. This almost caused Spyro to break down and cry, but he did his best to hold it in. He did however, let a clumsy smile slip his lips, causing Cynder to blush a bit. They both leaned in, lips touching. None of them knew who initiated that, but they didn't care. All that mattered was that they were together.

Always.

After a few hours, Spyro and Cynder both left the cave, walking back up to the top of the cliffs. Bently was sitting on a rock with Bartholomew sitting by him. Snow was falling atop the flat rocks as they could see the moon breaking through the black clouds above. Spyro took in a deep breath and smiled to the dragoness beside him, who returned it with a soft kiss on his cheek. He blushed softly and lowered his head to hide it a bit, which made her giggle. As they walked over to Bently and his little brother, the wind began to whip harder.

Looking up, Spyro gasped when he saw a large dragon hovering over them. Cynder looked up and gasped too, as did Bently and Bartholomew who stood up, Bently reaching for his club. Above him was that mysterious dragon Spyro had kept running into time and time again.

He just... looked at him for a while. Finally, after a few moments, he flew away just as fast as they had appeared. The group stood there, dumbfounded as they looked around at one another, not saying a word.

Just as suddenly as that episode played out, lights flickered across the side of the mountains and a shape flew through the clouds. The unmistakable silhouette of a UERMC Sparrowhawk flew towards them, shining their lights along the mountain-sides. One of the lights trained on Spyro and the aircraft slowed, breaking its momentum as it appeared to have been chasing the dragons. The large rotors on each ends of the wings rotated as the aircraft slowed, both lights on the nose trained on the two dragons as they stood on the plateau looking back up at the aircraft. It slowed, slowly turning around so its tail faced them, balancing out as small tires on the base lowered, softly touching the rock and snow.

"You don't see that everyday..." Bently softly muttered as the craft hissed, a small ramp lowering as snow kept splashing across their faces, even more so now that the aircraft's powerful rotors kicked up the icy slush that had been undisturbed until now.

As the ramp hit the ground, a figure walked out, wearing winter gear and a tan colored helmet with a black visor. To Bently this figure was the most fascinating creature in the world. To Spyro, he was the Crew chief to the drop ship, well, at least that's how Wagner had described him once. The Crew chief walked off the ramp holding a side arm while a few Marines along with Karson and Allison poured out of the troop bay.

"Spyro!" Karson said, wearing his scarf to protect his mouth as he shielded his face from the snow.

"Karson! Allison!" Spyro said, running to them.

"How did you guys find us?" Cynder said as well, running over. Allison placed her weapon her back as she ran over, lowering her scarf to better talk.

"We followed that dragon all the way from the LZ, are you two alright?" She asked.

Spyro turned to Cynder, who smiled softly.

"Never been better." He said while turning back to Karson and Allison, sporting one of the biggest smiles they had seen him put on to date.

End of Chapter 37


	38. The Final Key

Chapter 38: The Final Key

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

May 7, 2204

2132 Hours

The Winter Tundra

The wind blew softly as snow fell in the early night, placing a soft covering all along the cold stone walls of the "Winter Tundra", as the Apes called it. Spyro sat at the top of the main structure within the walls, looking down at the huge empty portal as snow flakes passed through it.

It had been roughly a few hours now since they had captured the fort and Spyro could see the rotors on the Sparrowhawk still turning softly as the pilot kept the engine on to keep it from freezing- or at least that's what Karson told him. He turned his head, looking over to the pile of bodies that they had set off to the side after the fighting, one of the Marines from the drop ship guarding it. Since Warfang, Spyro had been curious as to how and why the Apes had returned. Thanks to their newly acquired prisoners, Spyro knew exactly why.

Apparently all of the Apes had been reduced to the glowing skeleton apparitions that wandered Warfang's ruins but after the incident where the humans "nuked" a large army the Dark Master had amassed, he felt he needed more help. He recruited the Apes again to take up arms and fight their enemies once more. It was them who lead the attack on Warfang and them who took occupied this entire mountainside. To be honest, Spyro felt a little more comfortable fighting the Apes. They were familiar to him. However, this didn't take away from the tactical advantage they posed for Malefor. The Apes always were the more trained and organized fighting force within the Dark Master's armies. They saw that happen at Warfang, and Spyro knew they'd have to increase their efforts to defeat them again. This time they didn't have Gaul though, they were in essence, leaderless. Fang died at Dale, so Spyro wondered if Malefor had anymore top lieutenants up for second in command now. Spyro didn't seem to think so- at least not right now.

However, what worried Spyro the most were those new creatures that they had seen more and more often. Those "Drone" creatures that Malefor had added to his ranks as of late as well as what he himself described as the "Plague". He had never seen or heard any trace of these creatures before. He was also curious as to how they took down that enormous human craft that hovered over Warfang. A lot of that didn't add up just yet.

Spyro let out a soft sigh.

"What's wrong?"

Spyro turned, seeing Cynder walk to join him at the top of the steps as she had been inspecting the door behind them.

"Oh nothing, just thinking to myself." He said with a soft smirk. He couldn't hide the fact he was nervous or even worried. Not from her, never from her. She smirked back at him.

"Well, you'll need to tell us what you're thinking." She turned to look out over the walls, watching the Sparrowhawk as it sat along the cliff edge. "After all, you're supposed to be leading us, remember?" She turned to give him a smile. This time he returned it, confidently.

"Right."

He turned to look at the aircraft as well, feeling a soft gust of wind hit against his scales.

"I just hope the others aren't too pissed at what I did..." He muttered lowly.

"They probably are."

"You're no help." He said as he turned, a soft chuckle escaping him.

"Hey, you did run off to come find me." She leaned in to kiss his cheek softly. "And I thank you for that..." She said as she leaned back. Spyro went wide eyed for a moment before smiling.

"Well see, it wasn't a bad thing after all..."

"Yes and we also found this gate into the citadel. This'll more then make up for any of that." She said while turning to look at the door.

"All we need are those orbs to open it. Then we can pass on through." Spyro turned back, hearing the soft whine of the human's engines. He could see through the night and snow a pair of lights coming across the cliffs in the distance. Their Nighthawk entered his vision as it banked around the cliff and flew over to the cliff side.

"Well time to face the music." She said. He turned to look at her before smirking again.

"Yeah, sure." He started off towards the bottom of the stairs. She couldn't help but giggle softly at him. He was fun to pick on. Holding her tail up happily, she followed him to the base of the stairs.

Snow continued to fall from the sky as they both trotted over by Bently who stood by the gate leading outside, he smiling at them as they passed.

By now, the Nighthawk was over the cliff face, slowly descending for a land. Two of the Marines from the Sparrowhawk, including Karson, were guiding the bird in. The Nighthawk landed snuggly beside the Sparrowhawk and next to where the gun emplacement used to be for the Apes. Thankfully they had knocked that thing down the side of the cliff first chance they got.

As the doors opened, Roxy and Tom came into view and leapt down first. They were followed by a few of the other Marines like Spears, Henderson and even the HACOs and Lakadors had been sitting in the Nighthawk. Finally, Wagner stepped out, clutching his side softly as he brought his other arm up to shield his face from the snow being kicked up by the engines.

"Wagner! Where the hell did you go?" Karson said as he walked over, trying to speak over the engines.

"You know, I don't know what you guys are talking about, I didn't go anywhere!" He said in response, walking with Karson towards Spyro and Cynder.

"Bullshit! You were nowhere at the landing site!"

"I don't know what to tell you then." Wagner simply replied.

"SPYRO!" Roxy yelled, running over. By this time, Aaron and Zephyr had come around the cliffs, tailing the Nighthawk with Krypto as they landed nearby, trotting over to join the dragons.

"Where in the hell did you go?!" Aaron said, panting slightly.

"I couldn't stand the thought of leaving Cynder out here. I heard the guards talking about her being nearby." He said in response.

"You left us out there to dry! Why didn't you say anything? Anything!" Roxy's face was flushed, Spyro could tell she was very angry.

"I... didn't think you guys would approve. I had to find Cynder." Cynder frowned. She caused all of this herself. Spyro saw her face and brought his wing over her comfortingly.

"Hey guys, we found this way into the citadel, maybe it was a good thing they left." Zephyr said, trying to cool the argument.

"That is correct, we should be thanking Spyro." Tom added in.

"Guess so." Roxy finally said.

"Spyro!" Wagner walked over now, his hand removed from his side as it looked much better now.

"Karson already briefed me on the situation here, but tell me what you know so far..." Wagner grabbed his rifle from his back and gripped it in his hands as they walked over towards the main walls.

"We captured a few apes, and they told us this is one of the few ways into the citadel. This door, goes just beyond the shield wall." They entered the small fortress, passing the empty gateway, stopping just short of the steps.

"The Apes said we need orbs to open the door." He said before turning back to Wagner.

"Oh! Like those orbs the lady gave us back at the coastal town!" Roxy said, digging through her pack to find them. She brought her hand back, holding several of the small green gems encased in the golden arches.

"Perfect, we just need to open that door and we can sneak on through. Karson, tell Buckman to form of his squads, we're moving out immediately!"

"Roger that." He sprinted off, passing through the empty gate.

"You sure your up to this fight commander?" Cynder asked, looking at his wound.

"Oh yeah, I'll be fine. We need everyone we can get to stop the Dark Master." She frowned, but it returned to a smile as Wagner put on a solid look of determination. They stood at the base of the steps as the others got ready. Bently strolled over with his brother, holding his large ice club to his side.

"So I guess these're your mates eh?" Bently asked, placing his club down while putting his weight on it, like a cane. Spyro nodded, smiling at the group.

"This is Wagner, he's the human commander here." Wagner brought his hand out to shake Bently's.

"Thank you for helping our purple friend here find his friend."

"Oh the pleasure's all mine. He's a right good fellow, and he looks after the ones he cares about."

Spyro blushed slightly at the comment, which got a smile from Cynder.

"If you don't mind Spyro, I'm going to take my brother here home. It's way too late for him to be out and about."

"Hey I can hand-" Bartholomew started, but was cut off by Bently.

"No, no, you need your rest. Come on now." He scooped up the little yeti who still protested, getting a few chuckles from the group.

"Bye Bently! Thank you!" Spyro yelled to the yeti as he got close to the gate.

"Oh no problem Spyro! Hey, be sure to tell me when this final fights going down, I wouldn't want to miss it!" He said while walking backwards out the door.

"I'll be glad to have any help I can get!" Spyro yelled in return. As the yeti exited the fort and began his walk across the snowy expanse, Spyro smiled. It was people like Bently that kept Spyro going, knowing that there were people worth fighting for. He turned back up to the top of the stairs and the door just beyond. Soon, they'd be fighting for everyone.

"Say, what's with this gateway?" Allison asked as she inspected the very large arch that dominated the central courtyard.

"Not sure, some kind of portal?" Roxy suggested.

"There's several of them dotting this courtyard it seems." Wagner commented as he turned to see one along the wall to their left.

"I remember the Dark Master calling them portals. Gaul used to tell me that they used to be activated and spread all over the realms. They were used to travel from one area to another fast and conviently. It was one of the first networks Malefor took down in the early days of his invasion years ago..." Cynder said with a deep frown, inspecting the portal closer.

"That's why I can't remember any of these being used..." Aaron commented as he looked it over too.

"Yeah I've seen these before too, though like Cynder said, none of them work." Zephyr walked in the center and looked straight up, seeing the very top.

"They interconnected the entire realms, you could travel from one world to another. Now none of them work." Cynder sighed.

"It's so sad, to see all these great megolythes laying in ruin." Allison placed her hand along the arch, feeling the fine texture along her hand before removing it. "I wonder who built them..." She said while pulling back.

"Probably the same people who created the Final Solution." Wagner commented.

"The Council?" Asked Aaron.

"Possibly, or from that first tier Rithul and Diablo talked about."

Karson ran back into the courtyard, followed by Buckman and the others. Hunter came in with the HACOs in tow, all ready for combat now.

"Right, Spyro, let's get that door open." Wagner started up the stairs, motioning his hand forward for the others to follow.

"Buckman, leave a squad behind to defend the fort and the birds. We'll try to lower the shield from the inside so we can get air support. This is our fall back position if things go wrong." Wagner instructed.

"Right, 3rd squad, you stay on defense." Buckman ordered.

"Right sir." A few of the Marines peeled off and stood guard over the fortress.

"The Apes said the shield was powered by three energy pylons, we knock those out and we knock down the shield wall." Spyro said as he reached the top, looking back at the human commander who just reached the apex of the stairs.

"Right, those'll be our first target then."

Spyro looked at the door and presented the orbs. The orbs glowed and slowly floated into the air. They suddenly formed a pattern that resembled the square profile of the door before moving forward suddenly and jamming themselves into the wall. They fit perfectly as they gave off a low green hue. The door creaked open and revealed a dark passageway, just narrow enough for them to squeeze through.

"Alright, everyone through. One at a time."

With that, they all squeezed through the narrow passageway.

The starry night was still over them by the time the group filtered onto the opposite side of the shield. On the other side was more of the same, castle, snow and from where they could see, the citadel's entrance. Where they were seemed to be a little secret opening in the wall, a castle courtyard sitting beyond the shield.

Beyond the courtyard sat a snowy hill which was topped with a defensive wall that circled throughout the inside of the shield wall, encasing the citadel within its protective concrete and brick. From here they could see that there wasn't just the citadel encased in the wall, there were several smaller structures and perhaps more of the village and or a small town housed within the walls.

They could also see that there were four pylons within the castle walls that seemed to be responsible for the shield. Perhaps if they removed those, they could rely on the two drop ships for air support, maybe even use the target locator the HACOs had recovered earlier.

"Alright, here's how we're going to do things. We'll hit those pylons to lower the shield, and we'll move under cover of the Typhus' rail gun. First we gotta sneak in there so we need an advance team to carve us a path. Once that gun goes off, our cover is gone and every solider on this mountain side will be on us." Wagner motioned towards the pylons as he spoke, snow falling all around as the others listened.

"Spyro, go with some of the HACOs with Cynder and Aaron. You will advance into the wall and we'll move in right behind you. After that, Karson, Allison, you lead another strike team to hit pylon number two and Spears, take a third group with Roxy and Tom to the final pylon. Once you're in position, use the short wave radios, we should be within range of one another, even in this disturbance. At that point we'll fire the cannon. Everyone got it?" Everyone else nodded, Spyro, Cynder, Aaron and the HACOs moved up and in position.

"Right, suppressed weapons only, move out." Spyro and the others moved forward with the black clad soldiers out of the courtyard and into the snow, the wall being only yards from them as most of the nearby structures had been demolished to give the guards on the walls a better view of approaching hostiles.

That field was going to be a problem.

One of the walls, however, had a break in it, a partial collapse. This presented a breach in the wall but the Apes compensated for this by sealing up the hole with a barricade behind the wall. This meant they could get up close and scale the wall under more cover that way on the flank rather then head on.

It was dark and cloudy above as snow fell onto the shield and some even sipped through. However, there was enough residual light from torch posts and guard towers that they couldn't just walk across unnoticed. They'd have to try something else...

"How're we going to get across...?" Aaron asked softly

"They'll see us once we start going over..." Cynder commented. Anderson, one of the HACOs, was staring intently at one of the torches hanging on the wall, two Ape guards standing by it.

"I'll shoot that down and it'll serve as a distraction. Once the Apes all focus on it, dash across the snow." The others nodded as he raised his rifle, peering through a scope mounted on the weapon. He was silent a few moments as he adjusted his aim before firing a single round, a soft PUT sound escaping the weapon as they looked down range to the torch, seeing nothing happen before they saw sparks fly from it and the torch falling to the ground. Fire raged on the ground, the Apes guarding now alarmed as they tried to put the flames out. The other guards turned to see what the commotion was, abandoning their posts.

"Nice shot." Cynder commented. The Haco waved his arm forward, the others taking the signal and sprinting across the open field. It only took a few seconds to cross the field, but to the group, it felt like the longest few seconds ever. They reached the opposite end, sneaking along the collapsed wall.

"Alright, up and over. Jenkins, kill the lights." Anderson threw a grapple to the top and tugged to make sure it was secure. Jenkins raised his rifle and aimed at a torch further down the wall as he leaned out, firing at it as another soft PUT came from the weapon. The torch shuddered as it flew from its post and landed on the ground, igniting from impact. The apes near it panicked and tried to kill the flames, the two guards above them turning to face the fires as Anderson started his ascent. Spyro, Cynder and Aaron started climbing up on the fallen rocks, Spyro the first to peer his head over. The two apes stood right before him, looking the other way. Spyro turned to Anderson who was right beside him who motioned to the Ape and then he motioned to the ground. Understanding what he meant, Spyro nodded and grabbed the belt of the Ape to the right and yanked, pulling the Ape down. At the same time, Anderson grabbed the Ape on the left and yanked, bringing both into the snow where Cynder and Aaron silenced them. Once the area was clear, Spyro and Anderson climbed up on top. Spyro stuck to the side wall, hiding in the shadows as Anderson laid on the ground, aiming out at the second group.

The second group was watching the torch a bit as another group of Apes tried to extinguish the flames. Anderson motioned for Spyro to move up, keeping his scoped weapon trained on the Apes. Spyro crawled his way to them, using the shadows to mask his approach. After a minute or two, he reached them, they turning around as the fires were extinguished finally. They were met with Spyro who grabbed the one on the right and threw him down. Before the other could react, a single round slammed into his head, causing the Ape to fall over.

The first Ape finally stopped struggling in Spyro's grasp, Spyro tossing the two dead Apes off the side of the wall and returned to the shadows. By this time, Jenkins and Doslan had climbed up with Aaron and Cynder and were slowly making their way down the blackened wall. They all moved silently to the first guard tower, which was where the second group of Apes had previously been. Inside, Spyro watched through a window as the other Apes went on their guarding duties.

Cynder and Aaron slipped inside the crampt tower, a ladder heading up to a post above. In that post, sat a sleeping Ape holding a crossbow. Thankfully, he had slept through that entire previous engagement. Spyro boosted Cynder up the ladder where she slowly crept to the Ape as he was leaned against the wooden railings. She smirked softly before leaping forward, sinking her venomous fangs into the sleeping creature. He hit the ground dead.

She slipped back down, letting Doslan take up position in the tower with his sniper rifle, training it out as Anderson and Jenkins had gotten into position. Spyro and Aaron moved too, using the blackened wall to move without having to crawl. The second guard tower overlooked the wall and a secondary path that went down beyond the wall and to another larger guard post beyond. From there, they had free range in the cover of shadows cast from large walls, towers and structures that were scattered throughout the facility.

Spyro and Aaron came to a stop just near the shadow's borders, watching a group of Apes trying to put the torch back on the guard tower's walls and reignite it. There were only three Apes, and one above in the tower. Unlike their tower, this one was awake and keeping a look out. Spyro watched him as he turned to their tower and noticed there was no movement over there. The Ape squinted his eyes as he lowered his weapon, trying to see where the others were.

It wasn't long before the Ape suddenly jolted and fell backwards onto the wooden floor. The sound of a body impacting wood alerted the other three who started looking in every direction, one drawing his sword as another grabbed the torch and ignited it, holding it around for better visibility. Aaron and Spyro sat at the ready, waiting for Anderson and Jenkins to act first.

They didn't have to wait long.

The Ape holding the sword let out a soft grunt as he gripped his stomach and fell over, the one to his far right turning to see his falling comrade only to lurch backwards from an impact to his gut then again as his head took a blow, knocking him down. The last one turned frantically as his counterparts were dropping from his unforeseen ghost, almost panicking as he dropped the torch. As it hit the ground and ignited, Spyro and Aaron pounced, knocking the Ape down. The Ape opened its mouth to scream an alert to the others, but never got that chance. Aaron removed his teeth from the creature's throat and Spyro used his ice to extinguish the flames, blackness claiming this guard tower as well.

The three HACOs moved forward along with Cynder. They reached the tower and Anderson crouched, looking out at the remainder of the wall and the other towers before looking down at the path that went down to the right and towards a much larger, circular tower.

"Ignore the rest of them and head down. We'll have much better cover there." Anderson said. They nodded and headed down. Torches lined the walls, Spyro making sure to put out each of them. They reached the entrance to the main tower, seeing a single guard moving towards them with a sword. The guard looked sleepy, fatigued. Cynder smirked, getting an idea. She used her shadow to sink into the ground, making the HACOs snap their heads. They hadn't seen her use her shadow abilities before, Spyro giving them a reassurance as they calmed their nerves. Cynder continued on, emerging on the opposite side of the guard and tossing a small pebble down the hall behind him before sinking back into the ground. The Ape turned suddenly, looking down the hall and squinting as he drew his sword and walked down towards the door again, peering inside. Seeing nobody, he scratched his head and turned again. Spyro decided to add to it, tossing a small pebble down the hall in their direction as they all hugged the walls. The Ape gripped his sword as he went into a fighting stance, walking towards them. Cynder threw another back into the door, causing him to turn around rapidly in fear.

He finally turned to the door and started making his way back, almost in a sprint before the sounds of footsteps caused him to turn around again. He was met with the image of a humanoid figure clad in black armor holding a solid black weapon which he presumed was a crossbow with a telescope on the top of it. The soldier had no eyes... only... blackness as it covered his face and features. A soft PUT was all he heard before the Ape fell over dead onto the floor. Cynder emerged, giggling a bit. Aaron smirked at the Ape, grabbing him and tossing him out one of the side windows into the snow.

"Out you go tubby..." He remarked softly.

They moved to the door, the HACOs going in and searching the area ahead. Satisfied it was clear, they motioned for the others to follow. They were now on the bottom floor of the three story tower. Each level above could peer down onto their level as they could see balconies above them with wooden railings. There weren't many guards out tonight, only two on the top level. The entire tower was illuminated though... so this was going to be tricky.

The group hugged the wall as they moved to a staircase on the opposite side, moving up. They climbed the second stair case before slowing down on the top level. The two guards stood on opposite sides of the railing, one having a sword and the other a crossbow. Spyro got on the ground and crawled into a good pouncing position, Jenkins doing the same and aiming his rifle. He trained it on the Ape across from them and fired, hitting him square in the head as he was leaning over the railing and causing him to fall over the railing. Alarmed, the second Ape backed away from the railing and turned, seeing Spyro leap onto him.

As Spyro finished up, the group pushed to the other side. On the other side, there was a hallway leading out to a second tower. This one was opened up however, a large courtyard at its base and heading out away from the tower. In the middle of the courtyard, sat the Pylon. The large structure was both made of metal and stone, emitting a soft blue pulse every so often as snow hit against it. A few Apes sat around it, walking in a loose patrol formation as one larger Ape stood behind the pylon overlooking the shield beyond.

Anderson crouched and placed his hand against his ear where his radio piece was.

"This is Team 1, we are in position."

There was a brief moment of silence as they could hear the soft sounds of the wind blowing all around them. Finally the radio sparked something back at them.

"This is Team 2, stand by."

"This is Team 3, preparing to breach, stand by."

Spyro sat next to Anderson as he held his hand to his helmet, listening in as he could see one of the other pylons from where they were. He could see movement in the shadows near the pylon however, the second one being in a courtyard much like theirs with a guard tower to match. Moments later, Spyro caught a slight glint of Karson's armor from atop the tower before he sank back into the shadows.

"Team 2 in position."

"Team 3 ready to go. Anderson, hit it."

"Roger that, stand by..." Anderson reached for his pack and unzipped it, pulling out a small device that looked like one of their scopes attached to a metallic tube, adorned with several smaller notches and pieces. Spyro thought Anderson was going to fire something out at the Pylon but instead he was aiming at the shield. Anderson sat there a while before he heard him exhale.

"Target sighted, going loud." He said softly. Spyro heard a small chirp coming from the device before silence once again claimed the land. There was a brief moment where Spyro was confused, wondering what he had done before it became very, very apparent.

The shield exploded as far, far in the distance the rear cannon of the Typhus sparked to life and fired a shell at nearly 200 miles per second. The round impacted suddenly, sending a huge shockwave throughout the shield and creating a huge explosion that ripped through the night, shattering the calm. A nearby mountain-side crumbled from the force exerted, force being transferred inside as well as a visible amount of snow was kicked off the surface of each structure. Each Ape in the courtyard below was knocked off their feet by the deafening CRACK that followed, grabbing their head. After that, a short wailing sound was heard, much like what Spyro had heard when one of their tanks fired nearby or artillery guns. The round was traveling too fast for the sound to keep up.

"Move, hit them now!" Anderson yelled as he grabbed a wire from his pack and tossed it down, securing it to a nearby rocky railing and using it to descend down. Doslan laid down on the floor with his rifle extended out, Jenkins moving to follow Anderson.

"Come on Spyro, time to go to work!" Cynder said joyfully as she flew down, Spyro smiling as he flapped his wings to follow. Aaron wasted no time in doing the same.

As they moved down, Spyro could hear another rumble as snow from the nearby mountains began to crumble from above, creating an avalanche from the rail gun round's kinetic energy. The snow moved down the side of the mountain, crushing the village beyond that had been occupied by the Apes, some even settling on the shield as it packed up below the wall where the shield was emanating from.

Anderson was the first to touch down below, bringing his rifle up and firing short bursts into an Ape who tried to stand back up. He immediately fell over, dropping his sword. Two other Apes had gotten back up already, one still clutching one of his ears while trying to reach for his sword. The third held a bow in his hands and he reached to his back for an arrow, pulling the string back.

The first Ape was quick downed by Jenkins who moved in a low crouched position, using two accurate shots to drop the Ape. The one with the bow jolted to the side before falling over face first onto the snow-covered stones, his arrow landing a few feet before him. Spyro looked up, seeing Doslan above, twisting his rifle around to engage another Ape who came out from a corridor running along the courtyard.

Spyro saw them, the small group having Grublins as well, two Orcs also emerging from another passageway.

"Get them, don't let them destroy the Pylon!" The larger Ape said as he stood back up, bringing his sword to bear.

"Try to stop us!" Aaron said tauntingly, flying around behind him and firing a bolt into his back. The Ape yelled loudly as he turned, swinging his sword. The sword shot a wave of energy that slammed into the wall behind Aaron, breaking a few of the stone columns and causing a section of the wall to collapse.

"Woah!" Aaron said as Cynder fired a ball of shadow energy that impacted the Ape, making him turn back around to face them. Spyro joined in, swooping in from above and impaling the creature with shards of ice, causing him to fall over. He grunted, trying to get back up and reach for his weapon. Doslan made sure he didn't, putting a round into his chest and causing him to let a soft exhale before he went still.

Spyro turned his head, hovering above as he saw Anderson and Jenkins by a small rail in the courtyard, firing towards the corridors as two Apes fell from their shots, the Grublins proving hard to hit as they darted quickly from side to side, some even flying at them.

Cynder wasted no time, leaping up and sinking her fangs into one while Aaron fired a beam at two more. Spyro reared his head up and cast it back down, unleashing a bolt of lightning that hit one Grublin, the current transferring to several nearby ones, they hovering in mid-air as the current sent lethal amounts of electricity through their bodies. Spyro ended the current, letting their bodies hit the snow.

"Thanks for that." Anderson said as he nodded to the dragons.

"Charge planted!" Jenkins declared as he placed a small box on the pylon, all of them running to cover.

"Fire in the hole!" Jenkins said again as he ignited it, the explosive charging and blowing out the base of the pylon, sending bits of metal and fragments everywhere as the top portion fell over, or, what was left of the top portion of the pylon. Most of it now lay on the ground in shattered pieces of metal and stone as the pulse died away. Silence filled the air as they got up, though Spyro could hear small thuds in the distance before he saw another explosion claiming the pylon he saw earlier. The shield flickered each time, very faint now from two pylons being destroyed. Another thud in the background caused the shield to flicker and then vanish, the blackness of the night claiming the area.

Spyro had expected an army to cross over now that the shield was down, but only silence answered back. The avalanche had actually taken out any army that might have existed beyond the barrier, giving them a great opportunity to move up.

On cue, the Marines' Nighthawk and Sparrowhawk flew over the mountains, hovering nearby as any bit of stealth had been blown at this point. They hovered nearby, the Sparrow tilting forward and speeding up to fire missiles deeper into the citadel as the Nigththawk flew in behind, landing just beyond the corridor where the apes had originated from. Spyro presumed there was another courtyard up ahead.

"Go, go, push inwards!" Wagner yelled over the radio, Anderson nodding as he waved the others to quickly follow. Spyro flew over the group and landed nearby, entering the corridors as he caught a glimpse of Krypto above, fighting with a few Dark Wings as they soared up to contest the human flying machines.

"Way to kick down the front door." Aaron said with a smirk as the HACOs moved forward, their guns up at the ready at all times as they pressed the stocks of the weapons against their shoulders. Doslan came from behind, regrouping with them as he had his side arm drawn.

"Think the Dark Master is back here already?" Cynder asked Spyro as they ran behind the HACOs.

"He probably is..." Spyro frowned. He knew Malefor had to have come back here already. They had been trying to force an entry for over 24 hours. Though maybe there was still a chance...

They reached the end of the corridor, a wooden door blocking their way. Anderson shot off a lock then proceeded to kick the door down, it falling easily off of its hinges into the snow. Beyond sat another courtyard with two statues of dragons sitting on either side. The entire courtyard was lined with a corridors and on the opposite end sat a staircase leading up to a stone tower. The tower, lead to the citadel's entrance.

In the center of the courtyard the Nighthawk sat, its troop bay open as several of the Marines sat, firing outwards to the army of advancing Apes, Orcs and Grublins, all the while being bombarded by the snow being kicked up from the Nighthawk's engines.

"Go, go!" Wanger yelled as he dashed in from a side passage, waving his arm at them. Zephyr and Roxy moved in behind him with Karson and Allison as Karson stopped and crouched, firing a few rounds into an oncoming Ape, his body tumbling into the snow.

"We're clear, break off Dagger 1." Wagner said into his mic, the Nighthawk flared and flew upwards. The chain gun on the nose activated, a ripping sound filling their ears as rounds bombarded Apes who were running along the roof of the buildings around them.

"Dagger 1 clear, moving into holding pattern."

"Up the stairs, move!" Wagner yelled as the Marines started to climb the steps. Spyro was right behind, firing several balls of fire into the Apes, several more running down the stairs to contest them as two Ape commanders closed a set of double doors at the top of the stairs.

"Don't stop! Keep going!" Wagner yelled as he fired while running, keeping the rifle pressed against his shoulder as the Apes tumbled down the stairs by them.

"Come on! Go!" Spyro added in. He felt it, the rush of the finale. They were close, so close now. They raced up the stairs, the two dropships flying strafe runs across the citadel's walls, blowing huge chunks from it as catapults launched from the higher levels.

"We gotta get that door open!" One of the Marines, Henderson, yelled as they were getting closer to the large double doors.

At that point, Krypto swooped in, firing a ball of fire before pulling up and rejoining the arial battle, the sphere contacting with the door and blowing it apart. Wood and bits of metal flew through the air as the two Ape commanders were thrown the floor inside.

Spyro reached the top of the stairs with Wagner, seeing inside.

The room inside the tower was large and dimly lit as a few torches cast their light inside. The room was circular and in the back, two staircases lined the wall and ascended to the second level which had a balcony that overlooked the room. Inside the room, a large group of Orcs waited. Upon seeing the door explode, they readied themselves for a charge. Upon seeing Spyro, they initiated their charge, rushing the group with no mercy.

Wagner turned his head before leaping onto Spyro.

"Down! Down!" He yelled. Spyro was about to ask why when he heard the sounds of engines behind them, the Sparrowhawk hovering behind them and using two chain guns mounted on either side of its hull to mow through the Orcs, their bodies hitting the floor as bits of armor and bone were all blown apart from the intense fire. The room fell silent as the Sparrowhawk broke off, flying away.

"Alright, we're clear." Wagner said as he got back up. Spyro did the same, leaping over the bodies and to the staircase. The others did the same, Hunter joining them as well as he leaped across several smaller stones on the walls to get atop before the others. Several Apes raced from the second floor towards them, running down the stairs with their swords drawn. Spyro was the first one in line so he lowered his head and went into a dead charge, hitting one Ape and using his impaled horns to toss the creature off of the stairs and to the cold stones below. A second one was knocked to the side, Wagner stepping on his chest and putting a round in the Ape to silence him. Karson and Allison shot just behind, Karson unleashing a wave of fire with his hands onto a group of Grublins who flew in from above.

Spyro reached the top with Hunter, he already fighting one of the Ape commanders as he leaped to the side to avoid a sword, rolling as he hit the ground. He then leaped over towards the Ape then climbed up his side and used his bow to subdue the creature by the neck. Spyro took this chance, charging right into the Ape's vulnerable stomach. The Ape let out a cry before falling to the ground, silent. Cynder and Aaron flew over the railings to join them, both grabbing another Ape about to attack Spyro and tossing the creature down below.

Before them sat another door, a cowering Ape knocking on it trying to retreat. Spyro shot a ball of fire at him, the Ape letting out a yell before the ball impacted, blowing the door open and sending the Ape flying onto the other side.

Just beyond was a narrow stone bridge, spanning the gap towards the citadel's main entrance as Krypto flew overhead, having grabbed onto a Dark Wing and was ferociously biting at its head. The Nighthawk flew over as well, firing its weapons at two Wyverns who had joined in on the fray.

Spryo and Cynder raced across the bridge, the Citadel towering over them. This was it. They were so close now... Images flew through his mind, harkening back to their approach to Malefor's lair...

They reached the other end of the bridge, the wind slapping them the entire time as the others tried to keep themselves on the narrow bridge. A small flight of stairs lead to a foyer, much like the one from the tower they had just come from. The structure was made out of a blueish-silver that reflected the moon light. The structure was adorned with several spires and this was true along the walls and doorways as well. The floors were made from solid black tiles in a hexagonal shape.

"Anyone know how to get to the key chamber?" Wagner said as he walked in, the others not far behind.

"I'm not sure, there has to be some sort of passage somewhere that goes below. Karson walked in and looked around, amazed by the architecture of the place.

"Come on, let's try this door up here!" Cynder yelled up from the second story. They ran up the stairs to meet her, seeing a door just beyond that slid open slowly as they approached.

"Buckman, stay here with the Marines and watch our six, don't let anyone else in." Wagner instructed. His second in command nodded as he motioned for the other Marines to remain there with him.

Wagner turned back around, entering the room with Spyro. The room beyond was large, square in shape. On the far end sat a large throne, crystals pulsing black energy surrounding it as a lone figure sat atop- Malefor.

"I have been expecting you. I took the pleasure of expelling my guards to allow you an... easier entrance." Spyro growled, glaring at Malefor as he stepped closer.

"Ah." Malefor leapt down from his throne, holding his paw up.

"I already know about the key below this facility and yes, I also have the Talisman to unlock it." Malefor held out a small stone object with the symbol of a yeti on it.

"It wasn't hard to find it amongst the villagers who used to live in the valley below. They were very... quick to give it up in exchange for their lives. Pity they didn't survive long enough to enjoy it."

"You bastard..." Spyro said lowly.

"Now the question remains. Can you stop me from unlocking the key?" Malefor bore his teeth, smiling wickedly at them.

"We will stop you! We'll stop you once and for all!" Spyro yelled back. Malefor opened his wings, initiating a small hover as dark energy sparked all around the walls. He flapped his wings hard, sending the group onto the ground hard. Spyro quickly got back up, grunting as he flew straight at Malefor, Cynder right behind him.

Wagner got back to his feet, raising his rifle only to stumble to the floor as the ground shook. The group looked onto Malefor who only laughed, the floor below Karson and Allison glowing bright before a section in-between them and Malefor parted open.

"It seems this one will only open for the chosen ones... Now that you have opened the door for me, I shall be on my way." Malefor said before he flew down the hole.

"Shit, after him!" Spyro yelled before giving chase with Cynder.

Yahade' and the other Lakadors sprinted up to join the group, Aaron and Zephyr already in flight downwards to keep up with Spyro and Cynder.

"Where did the Dark Master go?" Yahade' asked, looking around.

"Down there! Quickly!" Wagner yelled as he lead the others to a small lift that sat at the edge of the opening. After they all boarded, it shot down quickly into the depths of the citadel, moving to a much larger shaft which was lined with crystal structures and the strange blue-silver metal.

"Where'd they go? I can't see them!" Roxy yelled as she stood by Tom, all peering down to catch a glimpse of the others.

"There! There they are!" Allison yelled, pointing further down the shaft.

Farther down, the shaft tilted 45 degrees, going towards a structure buried in the rock below the citadel. In front of the structure, Spyro and Cynder were hard at work fighting Malefor.

"Spyro! Look out!" Cynder yelled. Spyro grunted, sailing downwards to avoid a swipe from Malefor's tail. It instead hit Zephyr who swooped in to help, he skidding on the ground before coming to a halt several feet away.

"Zephyr!" Aaron yelled back.

"It's fine! I'm fine!" He yelled back, rolling to get back up.

"You little ungrateful servants... I should have killed you years ago when I had the chance..."

Malefor opened his muzzle, a beam of purple energy shooting out and scorching the rock and metal behind the group. Spyro growled, rearing his head back and firing a beam of concentrated heat, hitting against Malefor's scales and causing him to grunt. He broke the beam by sending a wave of energy that slapped into the young dragon, sending him down.

Spyro regained himself and fired another beam, this time the beam being more purple as his convexity beam was being activated, dark energy cascading towards the Dark Master. He smirked, dashing to the side and returning with a beam of his own. The beam overpowered Spyro's, sending him back into the ground.

"Get him!" Aaron yelled as he and Cynder bombarded the Dark Master with their own bolts of energy, the explosive bolts sending Malefor back into the wall as they continued to pelt him. He brought up his wings to shield him, Zephyr leaping up and spinning rapidly, creating a tornado that threw the Dark Master off balance, making him a better target for Aaron and Cynder.

"I will unlock the power of the ancients!" He turned around, smashing open the door that lead into the structure. He flew into the smoke as pieces of metal scattered across the floor.

"After him!" Wagner yelled as the lift finally reached the bottom, the group piling off and racing for the structure. By this time, Spyro, Cynder, Aaron and Zephyr had already entered after him.

Inside sat the familiar circular room which housed the key in the far back of the room. Malefor raced for the key, only to have Spyro and Cynder combine their convexity beams and hit him directly in the back, sending him reeling as the beams exploded with great force upon impact.

"Light him up! Don't let him escape!" Wagner yelled, raising his rifle. He, Yahade' and the Lakadors opened fire, bullets and dark energy rounds peppering the Dark Master. Aaron and Zephyr unleashed their own elemental attacks, Karson and Allison dashing up to add their own, fire and ice raining down upon the dragon. Malefor was pressed into the wall from the onslaught of attacks, the talisman skidding nearby.

"I've got it!" Hunter yelled as he ran over and scooped the talisman off of the ground. Malefor growled as he leapt forward, knocking Spyro and Cynder into the wall as he fired a beam at the others who were clustering together. The resulting blast sent Wagner and the others flying. Hunter hit the ground and skid, the talisman once again flying across the floor.

"No!" Spyro said as he dashed over, trying to grab it. Malefor placed his talons on it calmly, smiling to the young dragon as he leapt up to attack the larger dragon. Malefor merely flew into Spyro, using his larger mass to crash into him and send the younger dragon into the floor.

"I win Spyro. I always win." Malefor said as he brought Spyro up to face him, his menecing eyes looking deep into Spyro's as if trying to suck out his soul.

Spyro could only growl in anger.

Suddenly, a beam of purple energy collided with Malefor's claws, blasting the Talisman out of his paws and sending it once more into the air.

Malefor let out a bellow as he backed off of Spyro, gripping his claws.

Cynder grunted as she leapt into the air, grabbing the talisman and flapping her wings to escape.

"No! Get back here you little traitor!" Malefor opened his massive wings to give chase, the force of the wind slamming into Spyro and pinning him down as he took off after her. Cynder grunted, flying up to one of the ducts in the cieling. She blew through the thin metal barriers and clawed her way out.

"Go Cynder! Run!" Aaron yelled as he too took flight, flying to another duct to aid her.

Spyro flapped his wings once Malefor was airborne, streaking up to assist as well.

Cynder clawed her way through the cramp metal ducts, finally arriving at its exit. She leapt out into a massive crevice, black machinery lining each wall. In the center a large circular mechanism hummed with a low vibration, as if ready to be activated- just not yet. Lava poured from small cracks in the walls, dumping into trays that funneled them into the large machine. There was a large break in the machinery, a large duct that went straight up. She presumed she was behind where they just were, and this was the actual mechanism that fired the onimous purple beam they had seen each time a key was activated. That meant that the duct traveled all the way to the surface. She could escape!

She grunted, flapping her wings to reach the large circular vent. Loud flapping sounds were heard behind her as Malefor flew in front of her, impeding her progress.

"Give me the talisman!" He demanded, eyes full of rage.

"Never! We stopped you before! We'll do it here too!"

"You're wrong, you only helped me! Brought me this closer to my ultimate goal!" He flew into her, using his poweful claws to smack her into a wall.

"Cynder!" Aaron yelled, flying in low, firing his own purple beam at the Dark Master's back.

"Ah, my young apprentice, how much you still have to learn!" Malefor roared while rearing back, firing his own beam that overpowered Aaron's, sending him back as he tried to regain his flight.

"Leave them alone!" Spyro yelled as he flew in fast, gaining enough speed in the open area to bring Malefor down and onto the large turbine that sat at the base of the room. Malefor growled, grabbing Spyro and slamming him into the turbine itself. He didn't relent. He grabbed his head again and brought it over to where the lava was pooling into the machinery, trying to push his face into the molten rock.

"Don't be afraid Spyro, just accept your fate! It won't be long until the power of the Ancients is fully realized!" Spyro grunted as he pushed back with all he could, keeping his face away from the molten slag, the heat causing his face to steam as he was only inches from it.

Beams fired off, hitting Malefor in the back as Cynder and Aaron both fired from their hovering positions, trying desperately to help Spyro.

Spyro took this chance, overcharging his body with his convexity energy, sending the pulse outwards and knocking Malefor back just enough for him to slip out and slam Malefor into the machinery. His arm landed in the lava, causing him to roar loudly as he flapped his wings to get away from the molten rock.

He opened his muzzle, beams of ice streaking through the air and hitting the machinery behind them. Spyro flew down, landing on a side catwalk as Aaron launched himself against a nearby wall for leverage. Cynder groaned, rubbing her arm as she grunted, opening her muzzle and creating a whirlwind that captured Malefor in it.

"Spyro! Cynder!" Karson and Yahade' came down from another duct that went onto the catwalk, placing a grate aside. They both sprinted over to where Cynder was, just as Malefor canceled out her whirlwind with one of his own.

"Here! Take this and get out of here!" Cynder said as she gave Yahade' the talisman.

"Go, I'll cover you!" Karson yelled. He placed his rifle on his back and flexed his hands.

"Let's see just what these powers can do..." He focused his hands and started to form a small sphere of fire. It grew to the size of a basket ball before he unleashed it, the ball hurling at Malefor and colliding with him, adding to the other attacks Spyro and Aaron were already sending his way.

Yahade' stood and watched before remembering the talisman. He sprinted over to the grate, crouching down to enter.

"No, you cannot escape!" Malefor said before firing a beam of purple energy that hit the wall just above the grate, a shockwave sending the Lakador commander skidding on the ground. Dark electricity sparked from his body, Yahade' yelling loudly.

"Shit! Stay down!" Karson sprinted over to help him up, the energy arcing towards him and causing Karson to back up, shielding himself with his arms.

Yahade' opened his eyes, getting up slowly as the energy sparked from him still, he feeling no pain.

"It... doesn't hurt!" Yahade' said as he looked at his hands, both sparking with the elemental energy. He glared at the Dark Master, shoving his hands forward and sending a dark pulse towards the dragon. Malefor caught it on his chest and snarled, recoiling backwards.

"Shit, when did you plan to tell us you can _use _dark energy without weapons?!" Karson yelled as he lowered his arms.

"We can't! It isn't natural to us!" Yahade' yelled back.

"Then that means..."

"Get down!" Cynder yelled, leaping back up to fight Malefor as he rushed the two standing on the catwalk.

"Go, go!" Karson ushered Yahade' back into the grate, firing his rifle before entering himself. They had to get the Talisman away from Malefor. Allison was in the grate now, ushering for them to hurry as she backed up to give them room.

"Wagner, we got it!" She yelled back.

"Hurry, we've got hostiles inbound!" He yelled at her from within the chamber beyond.

They all crawled out into the chamber, seeing Wagner, Hunter, Zephyr, Roxy and Tom fighting more of those Plague creatures that had crawled in from the citadel. They were swarming now from down the elevator shaft, Wagner quickly running over to seal the door to the chamber.

"We need to find another route out of here!" He yelled.

"Quickly, we must use these ducts to escape the citadel." Hunter suggested as he moved to another unopened grate, trying to open it. Wagner placed his rifle on his back as he ran over, trying to help open the grate.

Suddenly, the wall behind them exploded open, Spyro and Aaron sliding on the metal floor inside. Malefor stood on the other side, holding Cynder in his claws. He tossed her onto the ground and snarled.

"Give me the talisman..." He ordered. Yahade' raised his claws, they now sparking with the dark energy.

"Fine then, have it your way..."

As soon as he said that, a blast of earth energy shot them all off their feet and into the wall. Malefor leaped forward, his claws bore at them. Spyro grunted as he got up slowly, rubbing his head.

"No!" He scrambled to his feet, Cynder and Aaron getting up as well. They leapt at Malefor, only to be knocked back down as his tail sliced through the air like a knife, instantly immobilizing them.

Malefor walked over to Yahade', stepping hard on the Lakador's arm, causing him to yell out in pain before releasing the talisman.

"This... is where you loose Spyro. This is where you all will loose." He walked over to the mechanical tube that emanated from the wall, blue energy pulsing through it. Spyro tried to get up, stop him, anything. He just brought his head around and nailed him with another dark blast. It was futile.

He turned, placing the talisman in the pulsing blue field, it becoming suspended and glowing. To the right of the tube they could see through the hole where Malefor had entered, the machinery coming to life. Sparks danced in the room before a purple beam shot from the base of the mechanism to the duct above, all the way to the surface. The final gate had been unlocked.

"No!" Spyro said as he sat up, seeing the beam shooting upwards.

"Yes young dragon, it is now time. Time to awaken the weapon..." He charged up a beam of energy, the room growing purple as its light danced all around. Instead of hitting him like he expected, he fired the beam at the doorway behind them that Wagner had sealed. The beam cut right through it and blew the doors off of their sliding tracks, sending them skidding across the elevator landing outside. The creatures outside watched the door skid before turning, racing for the entrance as Malefor flapped his wings and sailed through and to the surface.

"It's over..." Spyro muttered softly.

"No, no, no, there's still time! Come on!" Wagner said as he ran over, grabbing Spyro to try to get him up. The others clamored to their feet as Karson and Allison discharged their rifles at the oncoming creatures. Two were killed immediately as another was hit several times, causing it to stand on its hind legs straight up into the air, roaring in defiance.

Zephyr quickly fired a blast of wind that sent the creature flying out of the doorway.

"Come on, this way!" Wagner yelled as he sprinted out of the door.

"Commander! Come in! Did he just unlock the key?! The whole citadel is lit up, energy cascades all over the mountains!" Wagner pressed his finger against his ear piece, hearing Buckman calling over the channel.

"He unlocked it! We're heading topside! Keep an eye out, the weapon should be revealing itself soon! We need to move out immediately!" He yelled back, standing on the elevator platform with the others. Spyro, still weak from the fight, joined them on the crowded platform. It shuddered softly before going upwards towards the surface. Snow filtered in from outside as they were back in the throne room. The entire citadel was shaking as the beam cut through the structure, great amounts of energy pouring into the surrounding air space. They could all feel it, down to their bones. This was not good, not good at all.

They raced to the foyer and to the central entrance as the black sky was now ablaze from the purple beam as it cut into the sky.

"All units this is Lieutenant Wagner, we are pulling back, fall back to your birds and prepare for arrival evac, we are pulling out!" As he said that he saw their Sparrowhawk fly in from around the citadel and bank around, coming towards them. It tilted its engines up as it slowed down for a landing, hovering just near the entrance now.

"Coming in for a low evac- wait hold on, contact!" Suddenly a purple beam cut across the sky and slammed into the aircraft, slicing it all the way through its wing and engine, causing it to explode.

The aircraft spun around as smoke and fire raged from the aft section of the craft.

"Mayday, mayday! We're going in hard!" The aircraft plummeted from its position, hitting the narrow bridge that spanned the chasm in front of the citadel and shattering the bridge to pieces. The craft's nose slammed into the mountain side and caused the other wing to slam into the mountainside as well, destroying the other engine and rupturing the main fuel line. By the time the aircraft slammed into the ground below, most of it had already been destroyed.

"Dagger 2 come in! Come in!" Wagner yelled, looking down over the edge.

"God damn it!" Karson yelled as he looked over then recoiled quickly from the sight.

"We're getting our freaking asses kicked!" Zephyr siad while panting from the run.

"The hell do we do no-" The ground suddenly started shaking, thunderous bangs emanating from everywhere.

Off in the distance, far beyond the valley of mandobar and the mountain pass, a single purple beam joined the other four and cut into the air. The beam sliced through clouds that sat over that region, causing them to part and spin around the beam. Suddenly a burst of energy shot out from the area, banishing all the clouds from the sky for what appeared to be hundreds of miles.

"I can't believe it..." Allison muttered lowly.

"At long last, it is time."

"What, who said that?" Spyro asked, looking around as a mysterious voice had cut through everything. Everyone joined in, looking around as they couldn't put a name on that statement either. Suddenly they saw him. A shadowy figure sat perched on one of the many spires that sprang into the air along the entrance to the citadel. They couldn't see any of his features, not even his face as his entire body was cloaked in shadow. The only namable features other then his draconic silhouette was two piercing and pure yellow eyes that stared out towards the beam.

"At long last, the Final Solution has revealed itself to the world. Just as it did when the Ancestors went extinct, and the council died off..." He muttered lowly.

"What? What're you talking about? What's... what's going to happen?" Spyro asked as he approached him slowly. The figure turned, looking down to him from his high perch.

"You're the young purple dragon they call Spyro. You defeated the one called the Dark Master, yet now you sit, beaten twice in a row by your former adversary."

Spyro opened his mouth as if to speak, but slowly closed it. The figure turned his head again, looking at the beam.

"Those fools, they think it's a weapon. Rithul, Diablo, all those ignorant fools."

"What? Rithul? How're they fools?" Spyro asked, a little thrown off by his comment.

"They think it's a weapon. Rithul may have seen it used back in the age of the council but they never truly understood the relays. They thought they fully understood it, they thought they were on the edge of unlocking its secrets. This is what brought them their destruction. Rithul has no true idea of what power lies within the relays."

"What do you mean...? The relay? What does it do...?"

The figure turned to him again.

"Young dragon, that relay is about to unleash horrors beyond your deepest comprehension." The figure leapt down, walking up to Spyro and craning his head down so his face was level with Spyro's. His piercing yellow eyes looked deep into him, as if examining his soul.

"These unspeakable horrors are what killed the ancestors. They're what killed the Council. It will kill all of you unless you stop the relay from firing." There was a brief moment of silence as he continued to look into Spyro's eyes. Finally he leaned back, looking down at him with a slightly less intensive gaze.

"Yes, you are adequate. You can stop the relay." He said softly.

"What? How do I stop it?"

The figure leapt back up to his perch, looking out over towards the beam again.

"You really are the key Spyro. You're heart, your mind..." He closed those yellow eyes before opening them again.

"Your friends are already at the relay, no doubt fighting hard against the forces of darkness to secure it. You should aid them in their battle."

"What?! The others are alive?! Terrador? Cyril? Volteer?"

"Yes, they and the humans along with the Lakadors. What numbers that remain have repeled the enemy to the relay site. At this very moment they sit at its door step." He turned to look at Spyro again.

"However they need a leader to see them through. Will you fufill the prophecy and be that leader?"

"I... I think I can." The figure continued to look at him. Spyro closed his eyes and regianed himself, putting on a determined face.

"I know I can."

"Good. Go on Spyro, lead them to victory. Send this evil back to where it came." He turned back towards the beam.

"Who are you...?" Spyro asked.

"The Shadow. There is a tram located beneath this citadel. It will take you to the relay station. Make haste young one." The figure said before leaping down and out of sight.

The group stood motionless before Spyro took in a deep breath.

"Come on guys, we've got to stop the Dark Master. There's only one way to do that now." He ran back into the citadel, going towards the throne room again.

"Wait, hold on Spyro, how do you know that guy's telling the truth? How do we know we can really stop this thing?" Roxy asked as she slowed to a walk. Spyro stopped midway up the stairs in the foyer, looking down to her.

"We have no other choice Roxy. We've come this far, we can't stop! Not while... that thing is active. Not while the Dark Master is this close."

"Spyro's right. We have to keep going. We can't stop- not for anything." Cynder said as she walked up next to Spyro on the stairs. Roxy frowned before smiling.

"Alright, let's go then." She said softly.

"This is Lieutenant Wagner to Dagger 1, extract all Marine forces and follow us in, we're going to head to the Final Solution on a ground-based tram."

"Roger that, we'll follow you in. Extracting Marine forces."

"This is Lieutenant Buckman, see you there commander."

"Roger that, good luck, Wagner out." He turned off his mic, nodding to Spyro as he went off to follow him.

They went down the elevator once more, it slowly coming to a halt at the bottom of the shaft. As they disembarked, they saw the sloped wall slowly move, it moving upwards to reveal a large tunnel.

Lights within the tunnel started to flicker on, revealing the tunnel going on for miles and miles beneath the surface as it was lined with metallic bracers and elegant structures. Just before them sat a platform servicing what appeared to be two multi-storied gondolas that sat suspended by a cable that ran along the roof of the structure. As they walked in to the large tunnel, the door behind them slid shut, clicking as it locked.

"No where else to go now..." Aaron muttered as they slowly approached the gondola on the left. They boarded it, taking seats along what they perceived were seats. Wagner walked to the front of the gondola, looking around for any controls. He didn't really see much of anything.

"Huh... wonder how this thing works..." He muttered as Karson walked beside him, searching as well. They suddenly heard some sort of automated voice come from somewhere, but they couldn't put just where. It spoke a language none of them were familiar with.

"Anyone catch that?" Wagner asked. Spyro and the others shook their heads. The language was dead to them too. Suddenly and without warning the gondola came to life, jolting forward with enough force to knock the Lieutenant and the Private to their backs, grunting as the gondola raced through the tunnel and towards the Final Solution's central relay.

End of Chapter 38


	39. Who Dares Wins

Chapter 39: Who Dares Wins

Dragon Realms, Uncharted Systems

May 8, 2204

0422 Hours

Approaching the Final Solution

Spyro stared out, his neck elongated as the gondola slid along the track, blue lights illuminating their passage. Every once in a while they'd see a crack in the roof, a window into the outside world. They could see all four keys firing into the clear night sky, no clouds in sight as it was the blackest night Spyro could have ever remembered.

A loud thunderous roar echoed down the halls as they could now begin to see the Final Solution itself. The "relay" as the shadow called it, was four large triangular towers that sprang forth from the ground, flat on the inside and angled on the side that faced out. The metal was a bright white as it pulsed blue slightly. Energy leapt from one prong to another as it sat, pointing directly into the sky.

"Sounds like the battle's already under way!" Karson yelled over the sound of the gondola.

"I can see some of it... yeah!" Allison ducked slightly as a wyvern flew over a large gash in the ground that opened up and revealed their passageway to the outside world, pursued by the large black profile of a UERNF Raven.

"Woah!" Karson said as he ducked as well, turning his head to track them.

"Things are definitely getting hairy out there!" Allison said.

"You think Malefor's reach the relay?" Zephyr asked.

"I don't doubt it." Wagner muttered lowly. Spyro turned his head to see Wagner before turning back towards the tunnel.

"Hey, I can see the end of the tracks!" Aaron yelled. Everyone turned now to the end of the tunnel, it illuminated more then the rest. The gondola wasn't slowing down.

"Brace yourselves!" Wagner yelled. Everyone grabbed a hold of something, expecting a violent crash. The only thing they felt was a sudden yet gradual stop. The gondola slowed, just like it had suddenly accelerated. A few hisses were heard as it came to a stop and docked with the platform.

"Everyone off, go, go!" Wagner yelled as he grabbed his rifle and stepped off onto the platform. The others followed quickly, moving towards the station.

Beyond the platform was a tunnel that went inside, different angles and designs permeating the walls along the way. Along the entrance to the tunnel, there was a large room with what they guessed were tables and chairs, knocked over and left in a state of chaos. The hallway was short, and came to end where several more hallways branched off. Some headed up and some headed down while several side rooms looked like waiting areas. Spyro grew curious about the purposes of the rooms. He could almost imagine hordes of panicking creatures inside these halls, trying to escape certain death...

Spyro was brought back to reality as the structure shook from a nearby blast.

"Come on Spyro!" Cynder yelled as the group went down another hallway that ascended upwards.

Lights that had been dim for millennia were now coming online all around them as they could see some hallways that were dusty while others were pristine- left just the way they were when the weapon was last used.

It was then that they saw something interesting in one of the side rooms.

They saw what appeared to be remains of creatures behind panes of glass, looking in fear at something in the hallway. The room was filled with at least a dozen beings- all of which alien to the group. One figure standing in front of them defensively was a dragon. They were all frozen in time.

"Remains of the council?" Allison asked.

"Possibly. What killed them though?" Wagner asked.

"The weapon?" Zephyr inquired.

"But the Shadow said it wasn't a weapon, it was a relay station." Roxy corrected.

"But, then what killed them?" Zephyr repeated Wagner's inquiry as he turned to face her.

"Whatever it is, we can't let this happen again. Come on guys!" Spyro said.

They moved further down the stairs and up a flight of stairs. The stairs lead to a door just beyond the landing which hummed with a low light before opening. Beyond that door there was a large room that looked like it was ten stories tall. Large beams extended from the slanted ceiling that was angled out towards the other side of the room and connected with the opposing wall. Above where the slanted ceiling met the flat ceiling there were several holes where the sky could be seen. The structure shook again as another blast rocked the area.

The group fell to their feet as the blast was powerful before standing back up.

"Come on, let's go!" Spyro yelled as he ran to the other side of the large room. He entered a large door way which went back down towards the core of the relay. The others followed in tow as the lights flickered from another impact.

"I'm surprised neither the Apes or us have gotten in already!" Karson yelled as he scanned the area with his assault rifle. They reached the bottom of the sloped floor and two large double doors opened. Inside the double doors there was a suspended walkway that surrounded an antennae-like structure that pulsated with blue energy. A single terminal sat in front of it, and a large purple dragon stood just beside it, looking ominously at them.

"Malefor..." Spyro said.

"Ah Spyro. I'm very amazed that you got here just in time." He turned around, pressing a few keys on the terminal's display. It didn't seem like he was touching anything though. It seemed like he was just tapping air and the system was responding in corresponding clicks and beeps.

"No!" Spyro leapt forward, trying to take his paws off of the terminal.

Malefor sneered at this, leaping back, which caused Spyro to press his paws against the console. As he did this, it lit up green and flashed. Blue light emanated from the terminal and went towards the antennae that was suspended in-between the circular catwalk. A large sphere below the antennae glowed blue as it sparked with great amounts of energy.

"Congratulations Spyro, you've just activated the weapon for me." Malefor laughed as he swooped up and flew down. Spyro looked in shock at the terminal then to his paws as he realized his grand error.

"No, Spyro! Snap out of it! We have to stop him!" Cynder yelled as she ran over. Malefor flew down into a beam that was firing a small blue beam into the suspended antennae, causing the beam to turn purple. The sphere below started to rotate as it was now turned a dark purple color, firing a full on burst into the antennae which now itself began to spin in conjunction with the sphere below. The entire facility began to shake as everyone looked up, seeing the four large towers starting to separate and part, giving way to the clear night sky.

Suddenly a bright beam fired from the antennae and into the sky, piercing through it and going on as far as they could see. Just as it did this, the other four beams from the keys slowly drifted towards the single beam in the sky, combining at one single point. The excess of energy washed over the area as it caused the relay to shake even more.

"My God... it's happening..." Wagner muttered lowly as he laid on the ground from one of the many energy waves that washed over them.

Then, as they thought the worst was happening, they saw the beams part again and return to their original positions. However, unlike before, they now seemed to be tearing a hole in the sky. The single beam pulsed once more, causing an image to be cast into the empty space the other four beams seemed to be carving into the sky. As the beams locked back in their original positions, they could see this huge circle in the sky. Within this circle sat what looked like black mountain ranges and a purple sky. Black energy emanated from the rift that sat suspended above them. Creatures of indescribable blackness flew throughout the scene above them, but staying in it.

"The great rift has opened, and the harbingers of your destruction have returned once more!" Malefor yelled loudly as he floated beside the antennae.

"Soon, the weapon will fire a powerful beam into the heavens, and crack open the rift. It shall be glorious..." Malefor sneered, seemingly overtaken by an almost religious sense of obligation to this.

In anger, Spyro shot up, ramming himself into Malefor directly. Malefor grunted as the smaller dragon sent him several feet up. They both collided in a support beam and Malefor kicked away Spyro, who tumbled for a moment before gaining himself.

"Go, go!" Aaron ordered, and all the others flew up to assist their friend. They all soared up and met the Dark Master, blasting him with unrelenting beams as they collided and scarred his scales, the force of the beams slamming him into the wall once more.

Finally, he repulsed them with a wave of energy which sent them back several feet, but they continued their assault. The Dark Master sneered and took off to the gap in the ceiling. He emerged above the relay and hovered, Spyro and the others in hot pursuit.

As they exited the relay, they stopped for a moment. Upon seeing the rest of the landscape, they realized for a moment just where they were.

They were in the Burned Lands. The relay had been here the entire time! How stupid could they be?! It was right under their noses!

All around they could see lava spewing from the ground and several figures down below. What was left of the UER and Lakador forces united with every surviving dragon, mole, cheetah and creature in the surrounding landscape as they battled against hundreds- if not thousands of Apes, Orcs, Grublins and several of those drone creatures. Tanks rolled across the rocky landscape, firing shells into clusters of hostiles as Cheetahs dashed beside the bulking behemoths and slashed their blades into anything stupid to stand in their way.

Above, Nighthawks and Ravens swooped, dog fighting with Wyverns and Dark Wings as they battled for control of the sky. Spyro turned, seeing off in the distance Krypto and a single Nighthawk joining the battle too as it swooped low and deployed its payload at the base of the structure. Spyro could see the HACOs and other Marines from Buckman's group dash into the structure to assist Wagner and the others. Krypto flew in low, firing a beam of heat at Malefor, who deflected it with ease. He captured the beam in his claws and fired it back, Krypto swooped to the right to avoid it.

Spyro took this chance, swooping in after Malefor. He charged up a powerful convexity beam in his maw, firing it at the larger dragon. Malefor growled as it impacted, sending him several feet down before he flapped his large, powerful wings to regain himself. He snarled and swooped around the large towers of the relay, firing powerful beams at them each chance he got. One of the beams hit Zephyr, sending him back down as Krypto swooped up and caught him.

"Thanks!" He said as Krypto released him back into the air. Spyro swooped in after the large purple dragon, dodging in-between the towers as he and Cynder both fired beams each chance they got a sight of Malefor. Beams danced in-between the three, impacting pieces of the towers and when they scored direct hits, each shook it off as they continued their dance of death. Two Raptors from the humans pulled off and streaked in from nearby, locking onto Malefor and firing missiles at him. He turned, getting distracted by this just long enough for Spyro and Cynder to grab onto each other and supercharge an energy field around them before swooping in at breakneck speeds to impact Malefor headlong. The impact sent Malefor right into one of the four prongs, he yelling loudly before using his claws to latch onto the tower, firing a beam at them which caused them to break apart and hover before they could retaliate.

"Don't you get it Spyro?! It's over!" He yelled at them.

"No! I refuse to believe that!" Spyro yelled back.

"The darkness cannot win! Light will always prevail!" Cynder yelled as well.

"You're all fools... You think you can stop this? You think you can stop this cycle?!" Malefor leaped forward off of the wall and engulfed his body in darkness, sailing towards the pair.

"Look out!" Spyro yelled as they were both hit, slamming into the opposing tower. Energy pulsated from this tower as Malefor backed up, charging a beam at close range.

Spyro acted quickly, closing his eyes and breathing a jet of fire which caused Malefor to back up. Cynder detached herself from the wall and created a massive whirlwind around the Dark Master. He snarled, canceling his beam as he flapped his powerful wings to escape the raging winds. Ice shards pierced through the air as Spyro flew forward, flapping his wings with great vigor. Malefor wasn't about to let him have the upper hand, however.

Malefor countered Cynder's whirlwind with one of his own, canceling it out just in time to fire a beam of dark energy at Spyro. He flapped his wings to the side so the beam smashed into the tower behind him, Spyro adjusting himself so he could strafe Malefor with fire bombs.

Malefor flapped his wings so he ascended upwards. They followed close behind, sailing like missiles in the air. They were soon above the structure before Malefor brought his wings out to provide air brake as he spun around and sailed back down at an alarming speed. Spyro deployed his wings, as did Cynder to slow down as he blew right past Cynder and grabbed Spyro by the neck, bringing the full force of his claws down.

"This is where you die young dragon!"

Spyro could only gag in response as he kicked at Malefor's chest.

"No! Spyro!" Cynder flew in hot pursuit, opening her maw as she charged her own shadow breath.

"Go, go!" Wagner ran along one of the several side passages that routed through the gigantic relay station, finding what they guessed was a maintenance access way up towards the four towers themselves. They ran to a ladder which ascended above towards the top of the wall that surrounded the center of the relay. This wall is what the actual towers sat on, and they'd have a bird eye's view of the battle beyond.

Wagner was the first up the ladder, followed by Hunter, Karson and Allison.

"Look! There they are!" Karson pointed up, seeing the dragons dueling in the air.

"Damn, there's no way we can hit him from here!" Allison panted as Wagner watched, going into a sprint as he made for the nearest tower to try to climb it.

"You crazy sir?! Those things must go half a mile into the sky!" Karson yelled as Wagner ignored him.

"Crazy bastard, come on!" Karson muttered as he tapped Allison's shoulder so she'd follow.

A Nighthawk swooped in low from behind, applying its breaks so it could hover nearby. Wagner flagged the aircraft down towards them, one of the Crew Chiefs opening the door so Wagner could board the aircraft.

"I'm going to try to give those two a hand from the air, here, you guys try to provide suppressing fire from here!" Wagner grabbed a rifle sitting along interior of the craft, tossing it to Karson. Karson caught the weapon, it being one of the newer magnetic powered rifles. Those slugs traveled at a much higher velocity then traditional gunpowder, meaning it was more effective at longer ranges.

"We have to get the Dark Master off of their back, as much as we can!" Wagner yelled at them. Karson nodded, powering up the rifle.

"You can count on us!" He replied. As the drop ship sailed up, Wagner grabbed one of the side-mounted machine guns and pulling back on the charging lever. It flew high and out of sight, Karson motioning to move down the pathway so they could get a better shot.

"There they are!" Allison yelled, pointing up at the Dark Master and Spyro as they were locked in a free fall.

"Spyro is in trouble!" Hunter yelled as he grabbed his bow and arrow. Karson aimed at them, peering into the attached smart scope which calculated the distance, windage and several other variables, plotting a point where Karson should aim to compensate for all of these. He waited for the computer to give him a solution, he immediately firing when it did give him one, putting the round's trajectory right on Malefor himself. He hoped the scope was right...

The weapon let out a metallic CLANG sound as the round left the barrel, streaking at near super sonic speeds towards the dragons. The slug impacted hard, knocking Malefor back and releasing Spyro from his grasp. Spyro undid his wings, catching air immediately and breaking him several dozen feet above one of the large towers attached to the relay. By this time, Wagner's Nighthawk had ascended to a better altitude, he now able to fire right onto them.

Malefor let out his own wings now, letting the air catch him before he impacted the ground, swinging around to see the human aircraft sail by, bullets streaking every which way past his head. Malefor growled, opening his muzzle to unleash a beam of darkness, only to get caught around the neck by Cynder as she came down hard, shoving him into the side of one of the towers.

Spyro had recovered by now, swooping up to join Cynder as they streaked in to hit Malefor again. He wouldn't have any of it.

From where he was, he braced against the cold metal and fired a series of beams that split the air, searing anything they touched. Spyro and Cynder dodged.

To the right, the left, up, down, they angled themselves to avoid each of the beams, every one of them replaced by a just as equally deadly beam, only adding to the chaos they had to navigate. Instead of trying to close the gap, Spyro shot off several spheres of fire, Cynder adding her own poison attacks as they deflected off of Malefor's thick hide.

Rounds pinged along the metal, Wagner's Nighthawk making another pass, dipping between the towers to limit exposure to Malefor's attacks. He snarled, firing a beam nonetheless, clipping the tower as the drop ship slipped behind the metal structure, reemerging a few seconds later on the opposite side, Wagner opening fire again.

Malefor launched himself off of where he was, flying at the dragons again. This time they flew to the side, letting Malefor sail past. As he did so, they unleashed fire and shadow on him, the attacks causing Malefor to recoil back. Spyro took his chance now, swooping in and striking hard at the Dark Master's chest. He grabbed Spyro and tossed him away, only to now have Cynder throw in her own attack to the back of his head. Spinning around, he took a swipe at her, missing and instead only striking air.

Malefor was rewarded with a blow to the back, curtosy of Karson's rail gun. The impact sent him several feet forward, just in time to catch another blow from Spyro who bought his powerful claws to bear on his side. Malefor spun around, just in time to avoid a blast from Aaron as he flew by.

"Take that!" He yelled, narrowly avoiding a Wyvern that was chasing him. Zephyr swooped in behind him, catching the Wyvern and throwing it onto one of the relay towers nearby.

"Thanks!" Aaron yelled to him, Zephyr smiling in response but swooping back as a Dark Wing flew by, Krypto in hot pursuit. Another Dark Wing swooped in-between the towers, chased by two heavily armed UERMC Raptors, both firing their machine guns at the creature. Aaron and Zephyr moved now to engage the Dark Master.

Spyro and Cynder had both maintained their position, hitting Malefor in short engagements, letting Wagner and Karson distract him long enough to land another blow. It was starting to work, he was starting to falter. Malefor snarled in rage, spotting where Karson was down on the catwalks below and swooping down to take him out of the equation.

"Karson! Look out!" Allison yelled.

"Hold on, I almost have a firing solution!" He replied, backing up slowly while holding up the rail gun.

"Screw that, come on!" She grabbed his arm, ushered forward by Hunter who leapt from cover to cover.

"Here, behind here!" He yelled, moving to a structure that came out of the catwalk, just enough for cover. Karson and Allison rolled behind it just as Malefor made a pass at them, unleashing his own shadow fire onto them. It scorched the metal as he flew by, Aaron and Cynder both right on his tail. Aaron grunted as he swooped up then immediately down, catching the Dark Master and ramming him into the cat walks, the impact throwing Aaron off and skidding further down as Malefor rolled on the metallic walkway before skidding to a stop before one of the large relay towers. He growled, getting back up and forming a dark barrier to halt Cynder's attack. Her blast of energy that she had hoped would catch him by surprise deflected off and slammed harmlessly into the tower.

Spyro landed nearby Karson who had gotten up from their cover.

"Go, get out of here!" Spyro said.

"No, we can still fight! I'm a chosen one remember?" He flexed his hands, fire coming off of them as Malefor shot the barrier away from himself, sending Aaron and Cynder back several feet. Aaron made the first move, swooping in to attack Malefor in hand to hand combat, only to have the enraged dragon grab him by the neck and throw him headlong into Cynder. The two collided, flying down and back towards the atrium of the Final Solution down below.

"Cynder!" Spyro yelled, seeing this.

"I got them!" Zephyr yelled as he swooped down to catch them.

"Come on, keep the Dark Master off of them!" Karson yelled. He threw his fists forward like a punch, only this time shooting a ball of fire that connected the distance of several yards towards the Dark Master who was now bolting towards them. Spyro flew up, firing several balls of fire, changing them to cracks of electricity as the fire proved harmless against the Dark Master who was charging like a bull.

He impacted, throwing them to the ground and throwing Allison off of the catwalk. She screamed, grabbing onto a pipe that protruded from the walkway, Hunter leaping down to help her back up.

Wagner flew in low now, firing the machine gun right into Malefor's back. He snarled, feeling the sharp rounds starting to penetrate his tough hide. He turned, firing a beam right at the exposed drop ship as it had no way to reach cover at its current speed. The beam sliced right through one of the engines, detonating it and sending hot metal flying through the air. The aircraft sputtered, swooping in low as it went into a dive.

"I've lost lateral control!" One of the pilots yelled. Wagner held onto the aircraft, trying not to fly out of the troop bay as the aircraft spun around. Malefor only snickered in amusement.

"Hold on! Grab my hand Lieutenant!" The Crew Chief held onto one of the straps in the troop bay, reaching out to help Wagner over to where he was so he wouldn't fly out the door. As he let go of the wall to grab his hand, the Nighthawk's nose hit against the catwalk, the force knocking him off from where he was and right out of the doorway. He tumbled out, slamming right onto the large wall beneath the catwalks that acted as a protective shield against the outside world to the Atrium and the Final Solution itself.

He slid down, hitting against an obstruction in the wall that sent him rolling onto the rocks below. He finally came to a halt against a few jagged rocks, grunting as he could feel his entire body stinging with pain. It felt as though he had broken everything, except his nerves.

The Nighthawk by now had stabilized itself, sputtering off as it was badly damaged, the other engines flaring to compensate for the loss of one of the two main ones.

Wagner tried to get up, reaching out and grabbing one of the jagged rocks, trying to pull up his aching body. God damn it hurt so much.

He let out a gasp, falling back down onto the ground as it proved to difficult.

"Fallen so easily warrior?"

"W-who said that?" He asked, his eyes clenched from the pain.

"Oh nobody important."

Wagner opened his eyes now, sitting up as he clutched his stomach, seeing the dragon from before, the Shadow.

"You... you're that Shadow guy right...?"

"Yes, I am he. More importantly, you're you."

Wagner sat back down, clenching his eyes once more.

"The hell's that supposed to mean...?"

The Shadow walked over, looking down onto the Human. Wagner opened one eye, looking up at him. He couldn't tell if the Shadow was seeing him as pitiful or pathetic. Maybe it was both.

"I say that because I've been watching you for some time now, Lieutenant John Wagner of Earth. You display some... interesting attributes."

"What, am I a chosen one, like Karson and them?" He closed his eye again, feeling a spike in pain along his side.

"No, I think you're of greater importance than that."

Wagner didn't answer, he only listened.

"You seem to be using your powers already, though you don't even seem aware of it. You are of great importance Human, whether you realize it or not."

"What... makes me so special eh...? I'm just a human... Spyro and them... they're the real deal..."

"You ever wonder why you, Karson, Allison and Yahade' came to be here, you think it's by chance?"

"There are a lot of coincidences..."

"There are no such things."

"Then why?"

"Because, you are supposed to be the Vanguard of all this. You have been placed here, along with the other chosen ones to initiate these events and you are supposed to see them through. You must ensure the Foretold One is able to perform his tasks as spoken in the prophecies.

"Foretold One? You mean Spyro...?"

"You must ensure that everyone survives today Wagner of Earth. You will all need to be at full strength. You need to tap into your powers that you've been using unconsciously and play your part in the grand scheme."

"How... do I do that?"

"You just need to focus inside..." The Shadow tapped a claw on Wagner's face, causing a small amount of energy to be transferred. Wagner's eyes shot open immediately, he sitting up as if all the pain had gone away.

"Commander!" Wagner turned, seeing Karson and Allison slide down the rocky slopes, having come down to investigate where Wagner had landed.

Wagner opened his mouth to say something but doubled over, gripping his stomach as he felt something wash through him, even more so then when the Shadow had placed his claw on his face.

"Woah! What the hell did you do to him?!" Karson drew his side arm, the Shadow not reacting to it one bit as he just watched Wagner.

"He is feeling the transformation. I'd step back if I were you."

Karson and Allison backed up, watching their commander writhe in pain on the ground. Finally, a bright light materialized around him, blinding each of them as they were forced to step back even further, shielding their eyes.

When they were finally able to remove their arms, they saw a great dragon standing before them, bright silver and grey scales mixed with his old red color, creating a mix of interesting blends, now reflecting the light that was being emanated from the Final Solution. It was the very same dragon they had chased in Valliyor and that had been mysteriously assisting them all these times. Wagner was that dragon! The only difference was that now he was silver, instead of red like before. Did that mean something?

The Shadow didn't say a word now, only walking away from the relay. Karson and Allison both stood up now, looking over what had been Wagner up until now.

"What the...? Wagner is a chosen one...?" Karson asked, completely confused.

"Why can't we turn into dragons, that's badass!" Allison dusted herself off, Wagner shooting her a sort of amused look. He didn't say anything though. They wondered if he was capable of speaking in this current state. Probably not from the looks of it.

He lowered himself, inviting the two to get on. They obliged, sliding onto his back as his massive wings came undone and spread outwards. He flapped the two wings, propelling them high into the air.

"Cynder are you alright?" Spyro stood by Cynder who shook herself off, Zephyr having helped her and Aaron back up.

"Yeah, I'm alright." She turned, seeing Malefor getting back up as he snarled at them.

"Come on!" Spyro ushered them forward, the Dark Master looking like he was already ready for more. Spyro was for sure going to let him have it.

This time, however, Malefor charged his body with dark energy, charging into them with great force and knocking them over with ease. Spyro rolled on the catwalk and came back to his feet, firing an arc of electricity that connected with Malefor, causing him to recoil as he formed another barrier to protect against elemental attacks.

Spyro charged another shot, adding more power to it this time. The attack sparked off of his shield, though the force was enough to knock him back more this time.

Malefor dropped the barrier, charging up his own attack. This time they could see sparks of black lightning emanating from his attack though they were unable to react once he unleashed this new blast. This new attack arced towards Spyro with no ways to dodge. It was like a homing attack, and it hit with lethal precision. It suspended Spyro in the air for a few seconds while the energy transferred through him, causing the young dragon to yell out in tremendous pain.

"Spyro!" Cynder rushed in to help. Aaron right behind. They found out though, that they attack transferred between creatures. The attack sparked off of Spyro, passing through Cynder and into Aaron, immobilizing both of them as the energy ripped through every nerve in their body.

"Aaron! Cynder!" Zephyr watched helplessly as his friends were being so horrifically besieged by the attack, Hunter growling as well as he stood by too. He readied an arrow, shooting it at Malefor to try to get his attention away from the dragons. His barrier was down, so Hunter's arrow smashed against the dragon's head, near his eye. Malefor shook his head as the arrow snapped against his scales, the attack broken. He turned to Hunter and Zephyr, both back pedaling slightly as they could see him charging another attack.

Suddenly from behind, a bright blue beam contact with his back, blowing the larger purple dragon onto the ground.

Zephyr and Hunter looked, seeing Karson and Allison sitting atop a large silver dragon, it bearing a strong resemblance to one Spyro had told them about, and one that had apparently been following them.

Karson pulled up his rail gun, firing a shot at Malefor as he tried to get up, blowing him back a bit. Allison's rifle was on her back, she flinging her arms forward and unleashing ice shards with each graceful swipe. The shards smashed against Malefor's scales, causing him to snarl at the two.

Wagner didn't give Malefor time to react. He reared his head back and unleashed a bright blue beam at Malefor. The Dark Master brought up a shield to protect him against the blast, but the energy blew right past it and impacted him head on. Malefor was sent flying right off of the cat walk and down into the Atrium down below.

By now, Spyro had gotten back up along with Cynder and Aaron, seeing their new ally.

"That's him! That's the dragon!" Spyro said, seeing the dragon in his full scope now. Both Karson and Allison sat on his back, both at ease. But, where was Wagner? Spyro was confused. The dragon flapped his mighty wings, landing on the catwalk and letting the two off. He waved his head down towards the Atrium, as if telling them something. They both nodded and headed back down.

Spyro had no clue what was going on.

"I see you've gained a new friend young dragon, you won't last either..."

They all turned, seeing the Dark Master pull himself back up, panting.

"Dark Master, you're at the end of your ropes!" A new booming voice said.

They looked up, seeing Terrador, Cyril and Volteer swoop in at this time, all hovering above the catwalk.

"Terrador! Cyril! Volteer! You guys made it!" Cynder exclaimed with great glee in her voice.

"It's good to see you too young one. We barely made it out of Warfang. His blasted armies kept their attack up, but we ultimately prevailed." Terrador said with a huff at the end, as if to smite Malefor. He only snarled in return.

"Yes, and now I do believe it is time to end this, once and for all." Volteer added in.

Spyro smiled and nodded. With their combined force, Malefor had no chance of winning.

"You will all fail! I conquered these realms two times over and I shall do it a third!" Malefor reared his head back, firing another crack of dark lightning. Volteer countered with his own powerful attack, deflecting it. Terrador landed, slamming his two front feet on the ground, sending a powerful shockwave that blew Malefor off of his feet. Malefor flapped his wings, trying to regain himself, finding his wings frozen by Cyril as he made a pass. The large dragon crashed hard on the catwalk, getting back to his feet and shaking his head.

"My turn..." He said.

He dashed forward, sending a blast into Cyril as he flew low. Cyril flew back to avoid it, though this opened him up for a follow up attack that nailed him right in the chest. Terrador flew over, firing a blast of energy that send Malefor back a bit. He snarled, grabbing onto Cyril who was now in a free fall following the blow moments before and tossed him directly into Terrador.

The two almost hit Volteer head on but the Guardian leapt back to avoid the impact, firing another crack electricity Malefor's way. Spyro and the others joined in by now too, Spyro unleashing a searing jet of fire onto Malefor. Cynder and Zephyr combined their efforts to create a tremendous tornado which snared Malefor in its snares. He tried to escape like he did before, though was open for attacks. Terrador and Cyril both got up now, rushing back over. Wagner fired several bolts of the blue energy at Malefor, the impacts fierce and violent each time they hit.

Finally Malefor broke out, sending a wave of dark energy at them. He flapped his wings to gain more open air for maneuverability. He had to move to open air where he wouldn't be so susceptible to their numbers. Spyro saw this, racing to stop him. Another dark beam pierced the air, narrowly avoiding the dragon as he had to dodge, giving Malefor the few moments he needed to break out from the area between the towers where they had been fighting this whole time.

He flew high, hovering several hundred feet from them as each of them flapped their massive wings in pursuit. The dragons formed an attack formation, each firing their elemental breaths to hit Malefor. He deflected each, trying to repel each one with one of his own. He flew backwards, using one paw to generate a protective shield while using the other to try to use dark energy to catch their breath attacks and fire them right back. This left him free to also fire his dangerous dark energy attacks from his muzzle in addition to his defenses.

The group, spearheaded by Spyro, pushed their assault chasing him all around the edge of the relay. Malefor decided to break off from the relay, flying out towards the jagged peaks that lined the area, swiping his powerful claws and using dark energy to manipulate the rocks around him, shattering them from the mountains and in some cases, suspended a chunk of mountain itself before flinging it at the group.

"Heads up!" Aaron yelled as they dodged the rocks.

"Keep up the pressure, don't let him escape!" Cynder yelled back, using her claws to latch onto an incoming rock and push herself away with her momentum. Wagner broke through several, forming his own shield similar to Malefor's that shattered the rocks on impact. He fired his powerful beam of blue energy, shattering the mountain peak that Malefor had chunked their way, allowing the others to pass in-between the gaps.

The Dark Master waved his arms, more rocks flying from mountains at them. Terrador called upon his power of the Earth, shooting large pillars of rock out of the ground to hit Malefor, he now put on the defensive as he flew from spot to spot, trying to dodge attacks.

Malefor would land on a pillar leaping up, then use his powerful claws to propel himself off of it and towards another, now trying to avoid the elemental attacks that flew in from the formation of dragons. Finally, he sliced each pillar as he passed by, grabbing it with his claws and tossing them at the group.

Spyro flew by Wagner as the two danced in formation, avoiding the rocks as Wagner fired off another beam of powerful energy. Malefor broke formation, however, and swooped low through some mountains straddling the edge of the Burned Lands and the forests that went on for miles until they reached the Mandobar mountain range to the north. Malefor flew low over trees now, narrowly avoiding blasts from Volteer and huge ice shards from Cyril. Aaron and Zephyr tried to pelt him as well but they were dwarfed by the Guardians.

As they continued flying, they noticed Malefor had disappeared.

"Where did he go?!" Aaron asked as the sky was black, almost too black to see one another.

"He's hiding, waiting to spring an ambush. Everyone, scatter, don't cluster together. We'll be easy targets..." Terrador instructed, the others nodding as they drifted away from one another. Wagner was restless however, flying around the group, stopping periodically to scan his surroundings.

What was Malefor up to...?

Spyro continued to scan the ground as well, not seeing anything.

A blast of purple energy exploded behind them, blowing several trees down. They all turned to the source, seeing the fading purple cloud.

At that instant, something hot and piercing hit into Zephyr from behind, causing him to yell loudly as he fell to the ground.

"Zephyr!" Aaron swooped down to catch him.

"Diversion, don't let him fool you!" Terrador spun on a dime, looking to where the beam had originated from.

"There, I see something there!" Cynder pointed to a shadow lurking in the trees, instantly zipping away into the darkness.

"He's playing illusive, trying to divide our numbers. Don't let him overtake us."

"Our prominent numbers is proving to be our liability..." Volteer muttered lowly.

Spyro growled, scanning the ground more furiously now. He could see movement, but it looked like it was all over... but how was that possible?

Wagner did the same, his head jerking from side to side as it appeared he was scanning something before he stopped and reared his head back, firing a blue beam into the tree line, splitting several trees in half.

It didn't appear to have hit anything.

He fired again, in a different area, receiving similar results.

This time, however, a beam fired back.

A crack of black lightning shot forth from near where Wagner had fired, striking Cyril in the chest, the electricity arcing off and impacting Aaron who was nearby.

"Break apart! If we huddle together, one attack will doom us all!" All of them flew farther from one another, firing their attacks to the source of the lightning attack.

"There, I see him there! He is fleeing!" Volteer fired his powerful lightning attack, illuminating the forest and showing Malefor zipping in the tree line.

"There! After him!" Spyro yelled as he flexed his powerful wings before shooting off in pursuit.

They continued to give chase, flying low over the trees as they saw Malefor spin around and fire his powerful beams once more at them. The beam was intended for Spyro and Cynder, who were flying close together. They both dodged the beam, retaliating with their own as Malefor used a nearby tree to avoid the blast. He flexed his powerful claws and winds from above swooped down, slamming a few of them into the ground hard. The Dark Master called upon powerful prevailing winds to halt their advance before he retracted his claws them sent them forward again, red wailing energy searing towards them. The energy collided onto the group, who was dazed from his last attack.

Spyro opened his eyes, seeing a much more massive Malefor before him, snarling as he overtook the entire sky, threatening to crush him like a tiny bug. He clenched his eyes but reopened them, snarling. It was a trick. Spyro let off a discharge of his own energy, which caused the image of the Dark Master to fade back to his regular form that stood in front of him, snarling. Dark lightning sparked from his muzzle as he threw his head forward, unleashing the crackling energy towards him. Spyro leapt to the side, rolling as he discharged some electricity off his body, creating a magnetic shield to protect him from the arcing energy. Sure enough, the black lightning arced his way and contacted his strong magnetic field, causing the black current to split off and slam into the ground around him.

Malefor was undaunted. He instead followed it up with a powerful beam of dark energy. Spyro rolled again, trying to evade. He retaliated by hurling a fireball Malefor's way, only to see the larger dragon stand his ground and shrug off the attack. He was playing with him...

A blue beam split the night around them, slamming into Malefor and sending him several feet back. The dragon from before, Wagner walked over, energy sparking from his muzzle.

Who was he...? Spyro had not witnessed the scene as Karson and Allison had. He still had no idea it was Wagner. Wagner leapt forward to engage the Dark Master, only to have Malefor leap back and unleash his own shadow breath onto the silver dragon.

Cynder flew in now, using her shadow attack on Malefor as she performed a dive bomb attack, swooping high over them and coming back around for another pass.

Malefor tried to swat her from the air but Wagner slammed himself into his side, leaving him open for Cynder's attack. Terrador and Volteer were back up by now, and Aaron and Zephyr were right behind.

Malefor growled as he flapped his wings to fall back once more. The overwhelming firepower from all directions was challenging, even for him... He had to break them up somehow...

He took off again, back towards the relay station as the beam had gotten brighter, replacing the twin moons of the Dragon Realms as the dominant light source in the sky as it had given everything a slight purple hue, even out here miles away from the Final Solution.

The others took off again, in hot pursuit of the Dark Master as he would stop to send an attack their way once in a while. Spyro stayed close on him. He couldn't let him get away... not while they were so close.

As they passed back over the Burned Lands, and were approaching the Final Solution site, Malefor banked back around and used a jagged mountain nearby as cover to launch a retaliatory strike against the group. The others charged head first, but Spyro was surprised Malefor was charging directly at them. He could see the larger dragon cover his body in dark energy before bringing his wings in for a dead bolt charge.

"Scatter! He's going to ram us!" Terrador tried to break with his massive wings but it was far too late. Malefor slammed into the group with the force of a cannon ball, sending all of them tumbling.

Spyro had managed to evade but he watched as the others were sent in an aerial dive down to the ground.

"Cynder! Aaron!" He moved to help them but felt his body lock up. His motions were... slowed. As hard as he tried, he couldn't move anything. Everything around him seemed to slow as well. He managed to turn just enough to see Malefor over him.

"Surprise." He said before slamming his powerful claws into Spyro.

Spyro hit the ground hard, so hard the wind was knocked out of him. The bastard... He had used Dragon Time... His head hit the ground as lost consciousness.

A thud caused Spyro to open his eyes once more, seeing black sky above him. Sounds and motions were blurred, a soft ringing in his ears. He gripped his head softly, looking up as he could see a blurred motion off to his side.

He could see Terrador block a hit of some sort before swooping in to hit Malefor in the chest. The Dark Master spun back before grabbing Terrador's claws as he moved for a follow up attack. He hit Terrador across the face and kicked him down before firing a beam into his back close range. Spyro could barely hear Terrador's yell of pain before he faded from his view. Volteer had moved in now, looking badly beaten. Powerful lightning strikes hit all around Malefor but he deflected all of them, hitting Volteer with his own lightning attack. The attack suspended Volteer in the air, just enough to make him the perfect target for his beam attack.

Volteer soon joined Terrador as he too tumbled down to the ground in a steaming heap. Cyril was nowhere to be seen and Malefor sat unchallenged above him.

The moment didn't last forever though. A blue beam split the sky as it narrowly hit Malefor. He spun around, firing back as the silver dragon flew in low, banking up in Malefor's blind spot to nail a clean hit in his gut. Malefor flew up before breaking with his wings, grabbing onto Wagner and throwing him away from Malefor. He tried to do the same thing he had done to the guardians, hit him with a beam attack in his moment of vulnerability. Wagner would have none of it though as he flapped his wings to quickly send himself up by several feet to avoid the beam.

Malefor abandoned this tactic now as he flew in for a close range attack. They both crashed down, Spyro moving his head so he could see just a bit of the scuffle, they only blurs to his greatly reduced vision.

He grunted, slowly getting up and trying to regain a coherent stature. Thuds and rumbles occurred all around him, causing him to finally shake it off and look towards Malefor and the Dragon. He saw the two locked in a heated struggle, constantly vying for control over the other as they rolled on the ground, clawing at one another each chance they got.

Finally Malefor knocked Wagner away, firing a beam into his chest and blowing the [silver] dragon down a jagged hill and out of sight.

Spyro growled, rushing Malefor. None of the others were in sight, only ash and soot floating in the air around him.

Malefor turned, seeing him and immediately firing a beam at Spyro who leapt to the side. His movements were lagged, he was getting fatigued. No... he couldn't stop here, he had to keep going...

He leapt again to the side to avoid another blast, though he wasn't fast enough to completely dodge a third. The third send him into the air as it impacted the ground below him. The shock sent him tumbling before he landed in a pile of rocks, trying to get back up.

He couldn't give up now... not while so much as at stake.

He looked up, seeing the beam pulse once more as the sky seemed to tear open farther, revealing more of the black dimension above them.

His vision was interrupted by a similarly black face, one that belonged to Cynder. Her black scales reflected the purple light so beautifully... she was always pretty, he couldn't deny that.

"Spyro!" She yelled, snapping him out of his trance. He shook his head, grunting as he took her hand.

"Come on! We can't stop now!" She said. She was right, there was no stopping now.

"Thanks Cynder..." He said, looking ahead to see Malefor approaching them.

"Get down!" Spyro yelled as he rolled to the side to avoid Malefor who performed another dark charge. He collided into rocks behind them, causing a larger formation behind it to crumble down, weakened by all the fighting.

Spyro flapped his wings to get airborne, as did Cynder who floated by him, looking into the black cloud kicked up by Malefor's attack.

Suddenly, he shot out from the cloud, streaking up towards the pair.

They both flew to the side, avoiding him narrowly. Though, he didn't stop. He shot off towards the Final Solution, the beam growing brighter with each passing moment.

"Come on! After him!" Spyro and Cynder both shot off like a bullet after him.

The flight seemed like an eternity, covering all that distance at once. They finally reached the towers, seeing Malefor hovering nearby.

"It is almost fully charged... soon it will pierce that barrier between our world and theirs, and let loose darkness to purge this world, once and for all..."

Spyro didn't bother responding, he only blasted his way towards Malefor, encasing his body in fire. He impacted the dragon, sending him several feet back. Malefor snarled.

"I cannot let you live tonight Spyro... you shall not live to see the morning!" With that, he slammed his claws hard into Spyro, sending him back by a large margin. Cynder flew in, catching him as she formed a shield to block a beam attack. Her shield wasn't powerful enough, only absorbing the initial impact, not the blast afterwards. This sent them tumbling back, unable to catch themselves. They were at his mercy...

Malefor chose this time to appear in front of both of them, batting them with his large claws to send them into the tower behind them. Cynder managed to catch herself using her wind powers, turning to Spyro to do the same to him. She was too late...

He hit the wall hard, letting out a pained yell as the impact was so hard it bent the metal, his body caught in the indention.

"Spyro! You alright?" Cynder hovered in front of him, trying to help him back up.

"I'm fine... look out!" Spyro pointed behind her, shoving Cynder to the side as Malefor came at them again, his claws going right through Spyro's stomach towards his side.

"Spyro no!" Cynder yelled out as she swooped back then forward to gain momentum, crashing into Malefor with enough force to send him crashing into the tower several feet away.

"Spyro! Spyro are you alright?!" She grabbed him now, a few tears in her eyes. Spyro moaned and craned his head back as the wound was deep.

"I'm... don't worry Cynder... I can still fight..." Spyro pushed himself forward, using his wings to hover clumsily.

"No Spyro, you're badly hurt! You can't keep fighting!" She said, holding onto him while they both hovered.

"Cynder, you and I both know you'll never beat him on your own..."

"But we have Aaron, Zephyr, and all the others!"

"You know they're too badly injured to keep fighting... come on, we can still do this..." He gave her a small smile, she only returning this with a frown. Spyro clutched his side, dropping a few inches. This hurt like hell. But he couldn't give up, not now. He looked up at the sky. Since the fighting had began, the tear in the sky had gotten bigger, as had the beam firing into the sky.

"How touching, you're both together. Now you can both die together." Malefor appeared before them, bringing his claws down onto both of them and knocking them down. Cynder slammed into the guard wall surrounding the interior of the relay, and Spyro sailed down beyond and impacted into the cold floor in the main entryway room where they had been earlier. He let out a silent yell as the wind was knocked from his system.

"Spyro!" He heard a familiar voice, causing him to turn his head slightly.

He saw Karson and Allison with Hunter running toward him with a few Marines.

"He's hurt! Quickly, I need a med pack over here!" Karson knelt down quickly beside Spyro, one of the soldiers giving Karson a red package with a cross on it. He quickly went into the package and removed some bandages to place over his wound. Before he could do anything, Malefor dropped into the party.

A powerful beam hit Karson in the chest and blew him back several feet.

"Karson!" Allison yelled as she brought her hands up, firing several shards at the Dark Master, who brought down his powerful claws to shatter all of them in a single swipe.

"Open fire, open fire!" One of the soldiers commanded. At once, all the Marines opened up with their assault weapons, rifle bullets pining through the air and hitting Malefor's scales. The rounds bounced off his scales, but the protection wouldn't last forever. He quickly sent a wave of energy that knocked them all off of their feet.

Again, the facility rumbled and a purple haze filled the sky. Malefor looked up, smiling wickedly.

"You're almost out of time..."

Purple streams started to flow from the tear in the sky, coming down to the floor and materializing in dark purple creatures who stood upright, much like the drones but thinner. These creatures were all covered in a black haze and looked at them with cold, yellow eyes- just like the Shadow.

They said nothing or made no sound. They just were as they lumbered towards them. The soldiers who had gotten up at this point fired their weapons at them as they backed up. Malefor, sneering at them, turned back to Spyro who was struggling to get back up.

Malefor walked over to him and picked him up. Spyro roared loudly as his wound was only made worse by this. Malefor smirked before walking over to the entrance to the firing control and throwing Spyro down the stairs. Spyro landed hard, skidding down the sloped walkway and coming to a halt just in front of the doorway to the control room. Malefor approached, the door opening for him as he kicked Spyro deeper into the room, just in front of the console.

"Can't you see? You've lost..." He chuckled down at Spyro who moaned and tried to get up, his wound sending powerful pain signals throughout his body. He slowly got to his feet, holding himself against the console as the beam fired up behind him. The Dark Master walked closer, shoving his claws forward and jamming them against Spyro's neck. He pinned the dragon against the console as he brought his claws down hard.

"You'll... never... win..." Spyro managed to mouth.

"You're still in denial! They are coming... they will bring destruction to this pitiful world! Can't you see it?!"

Spyro groaned, managing to grip onto the console as a bracer, looking directly at Malefor.

"We'll fight... fight until the end..." He managed to say lowly.

"You don't understand Spyro... they are coming... You and me together, we can help them, carve this world into ash and create a new existence for ourselves and our race... think of it Spyro... a race... of purple dragons..."

"Who? Who is coming? God damn it... what is this relay?!" Spyro grunted as he struggled a bit.

"It unleashes a secret Spyro... a dark secret that will purge this world!"

"No! I can stop it! We can stop it!"

"No Spyro... you cannot stop the inevitable... just help it..."

"No I don't believe that!"

"Then you must die..." Malefor doubled on the pressure, causing Spyro to gag and grasp at his arms, trying to undo his stranglehold.

Spyro gasped as he clenched his eyes, kicking against the larger dragon.

"I... cannot... fail..." Malefor simply ignored the smaller purple dragon as he opened his eyes, anger flowing through them as he looked up at the larger dragon before him. He knew what had to be done. He energized his body, sending pulses of energy throughout himself. He closed his eyes before opening them again, releasing the vast amounts of energy as they sent Malefor flying across the platform. He got up slowly, growling as he saw Spyro leaping at him. The younger dragon hit headlong into Malefor, knocking him over the railing and down towards the core of the weapon.

The shaft went down, deep into the planet as the circular core sat suspended above a shaft of machinery that was held in place by bracers that hooked up to the walls. There were several levels of these bracers, all rotating as energy pulsed through them. Below them, Spyro could see lava and molten rock coming from the walls and pouring into a deep reservoir several dozen miles below the planet's surface.

They missed the first level of braces and slammed into the second level. Malefor got up slowly, panting as he looked over towards the younger dragon. Spyro stood up, ignoring the searing pain from his wounds as he was going to defy until the bitter end.

Malefor roared, unleashing fire unto the scene. Spyro leapt back, forming a shield with his wings before unleashing his own fire. Their battle was cut as Malefor pressed his body towards the brace they were on as it passed by the ones above. As soon as it passed, Malefor fired a beam of energy at Spyro. Spyro leapt into the air, soaring towards the other brace on their level, as there were three on each level, all rotating in opposite directions.

Malefor leapt up as well, landing on the braces on top. He fired down onto the younger dragon who leapt from brace to brace, returning fire the whole way down.

Another beam ripped through the air, Spyro pressing his back against the central pillar that descended to the base of the structure. As he slowly rotated, Spyro waited for the perfect shot, seeing Malefor's back reveal itself to him. Spyro snarled when he saw it, opening his muzzle and firing a beam of purple light at Malefor. It cut through his scales, sending the larger dragon down and crashing onto the brace below. He got up quickly and returned fire, leaping from beam to beam. Spyro did the same, avoiding his blasts. Malefor was bigger then him, and couldn't fit in-between the spaces in the braces like Spyro could as they rotated around.

A searing beam cut against an area Spyro was about to land, he recoiling back with a grunt. As he looked up, his eyes widened as he saw Malefor, leaping through an enormous chance hole between all the braces leading to Spyro. He collided with the younger dragon, sending them against a brace further down.

Spyro yelled out in pain as Malefor pinned him again, clawing at his chest scales.

"You cannot escape! THIS is the end for you!" He roared loudly, mercilessly clawing at the poor dragon's chest, chipping away at his protective chest plates.

Spyro's body began to glow dark as energy pulsed through him. He was starting to loose his mind... the rage... the anger... the need to not fail... it was overwhelming Spyro. He roared loudly as a wave of energy sent Malefor back a few feet, he sneering as he recognized Spyro's blind rage.

Dark Spyro leapt at Malefor in blind fury, Malefor only needing to step to the side to avoid the dragon. Spyro collided with the center shaft and recoiled back, shaking off the impact and leaping back at Malefor. Malefor flew up and used a brace above him to send himself down with great force. He collided with Spyro and sent him down, down past the final layer of braces and towards the pit of lava below. As Spyro passed the final braces, Malefor let loose a powerful beam of dark energy that slammed into the dragon and sent him falling to his death below.

The smoking and seared body of Spyro tumbled down below, illuminated by the lava that now lined the walls and dripped down to the pool that was slowly growing at the base, several miles down below.

Spyro tumbled lifelessly. He had been beaten. It was over. Malefor had truly won... He had let everyone down... He was supposed to be their hero, their leader. He was supposed to lead all of them to victory over darkness... lead them to a brighter tomorrow... Now he sat, a broken heap tumbling to his own demise... He could see the lava getting closer. He could feel the heat, singing his scales as he drew nearer to the burning inferno... He could pull up, save himself. But... what use was it...? He had failed everyone. There was no sense in saving himself at this point...

He was already dead inside.

His darkness had gotten the better of him... He had killed Diablo, endangered Cynder and cost him, and everyone else, the mission. He let Malefor win... his darkness let Malefor win...

Spyro closed his eyes, waiting for the heat to consume him.

He saw Cynder.

He saw... her beautiful face... He saw her broken past, hurt, pain... He saw how vulnerable she was, yet how strong and independent she was... He loved it, even more admired it... She was so strong... and everyone around him... from Ignitus to all his new friends who stood by him, until the end.

He owed them every minute he spent with them. He could never repay Cynder for all the joy she brought him... He'd never be able to tell her in person...

He pictured her in a new light now, being subject to whatever horrible future lay for her and everyone else... He saw her suffering, sad, alone.

No...

He couldn't bare to see her like this... He had to help her...

He would not let this happen.

He felt a spark inside of him, seeing all of his friends subjected to this fate... It angered him, it motivated him. He felt something new starting to flow within his veins... something warm and something powerful. It wasn't darkness... it wasn't convexity of fury energy, none of it... It felt better. It felt... pure.

Spyro opened his eyes, opening his wings and braking himself near the bottom of the shaft. He looked up, seeing the Final Solution miles above, shining with a brilliant blue as energy cascaded off of the walls around him. It was nearly finished charging. Spyro only had one chance at this.

He shot up like a bullet, energy cascading off his own body as he sailed up, covering the distance in no time as he could see the structure growing larger and larger and larger...

He would not fail anybody.

He would win.

He will defeat this darkness, no matter the cost.

He blew past all the braces, blowing apart any that sat in his way. He shot up, past the central platform and hovered just above.

Malefor sat near the console, astonished at him.

"What the?! How're you still alive?! You should have died!" He roared. Spyro didn't say anything. His body was shrouded by a bright blue light, golden energy cascading from him as well and sparking to the nearby machinery. His scales were almost a pure white... looking as if they could deflect any darkness.

"No matter, you're still far too late! You shall never stop it now!"

Spyro merely looked at Malefor before shooting forth and enclosing his body with pure energy. The resulting cascade sent the Dark Master off of the platform and onto once of the braces below. He landed hard, on his back. He roared in pain before looking up, seeing Spyro above him.

"No Dark Master. Today, I, we, have won." He reared his head back and unleashed a beam of golden light. It slammed into Malefor and caused him to roar loudly. His scales were singed by this new energy as he tried to get up, get away. Spyro canceled the beam, seeing Malefor get up and try to brace himself on the shaft in the center. Spyro shot another beam at his back, electing another roar of pure pain from the Dark Master.

"You, and this weapon, shall never harm anyone, every again!" Spyro reared his head back for another, his final, strike. The beam was brilliant, illuminating the entire shaft as Malefor let out another, pained, cry. In the beam, Spyro closed the distance between him and Malefor and performed another comet strike with his new energy. He sent Malefor into the air, his steaming body crashing back down onto the platform.

Spyro flew up, past the platform and hovered above him. He lowered himself and landed upon Malefor, the dragon below him sitting still and defeated. Spyro huffed and looked up proudly.

"Spyro!"

Spyro turned, seeing Cynder entering the room with Karson and Allison. They saw him, triumphantly above Malefor as the beam shot up from behind him.

"He really did it..." Allison said lowly.

"Spyro! You did it, you beat the Dark Master!" Cynder said as she ran over to Spyro.

"No... the weapon is still firing... I haven't won anything." He turned to look up at the relay firing, then back down to Cynder who stood next to Malefor's defeated body.

"What do we do...?" She asked lowly.

Spyro looked down at the floor. He didn't know what to do, really...

He looked back up at the beam, then back up to the sky. The sky was a pure black, energy cascading from it as he could see nothing but pure evil beyond...

He looked back at the beam. He looked at it intensely before stepping down from Malefor. Malefor's body let off a low glow before crystallizing, turning into a large chunk of purple crystal that dominated the platform. Spyro saw this before turning back to the beam. He walked and stopped just before the central console. Cynder walked up too, standing right beside him.

Your heart is the key.

Spyro remembered that phrase. He had heard it many times... the mysterious voice below Gale told it to him, and the Shadow told him this as well. What did it mean...?

All purple dragons were the vanguards of the Final Solution. They, if anyone, could control the weapon, right? Then... couldn't he just shut it off...? Spyro tapped at the controls, electing no response. He frowned. Then what could be done?

"Spyro...?" Cynder asked lowly, looking at his inquisitive eyes.

Your heart is the key.

This entire time he had learned that he was special, he didn't know just how special... What really made purple dragons purple dragons he wondered? What separated him from everyone else besides his scales, and his ability to activate this ancient technology?

Your heart is the key.

He pressed his paw against his chest, feeling at the damaged scales. He let off a low breath.

Your heart is the key.

He was pure of mind, pure of soul. Against all odds he didn't follow the path of the Dark Master. Instead he chose the righteous path, the path of good. He wanted nothing more or less then to save all these people. He didn't care about power... he cared about everyone making it and having a chance at life... He was pure.

Was that it then? A pure heart?

"My heart... is the key..."

"Spyro? What're you talking about...?"

Spyro turned to Cynder, looking deep into her eyes.

"I am the key Cynder... I can stop this!"

"What? how?"

"I... don't know. I just know, I can."

"How though Spyro, how're you going to stop it?"

Spyro looked at her again before bringing her into a tight hug.

"Cynder, you've brought nothing but happiness into my life. You've shown me how good a person can be, even if their beginnings aren't as so..."

"Spyro... what're you saying...?"

"Thank you Cynder... just thank you..." Tears came down from Cynder's eyes. Her heart raced.

"No Spyro, you're not saying-"

"Cynder, I have to do this..." He held her tightly again before letting go, looking deep into her tear soaked eyes. She looked into his, only seeing strength and resolve in his eyes.

"No Spyro... no... please no! We can do this together Spyro!"

Spyro shook his head, placing his paws on both of her shoulders.

"We both know you can't Cynder. I have to go alone..." He looked at the beam as it shot up into the sky.

"I have to do this..."

"Will I ever see you again...?" She asked softly, almost choked up from the tears. Spyro turned to her, grabbing both of her paws and bringing them up to her chest.

"I promise I'll be back Cynder..."

"No, don't promise me that, promise me you'll survive, you come back, come back and-"

Spyro placed a talon against her lips, shushing her. He gave her a soft smile before leaning in and kissing her full on the lips. She accepted the kiss with no argument, closing her eyes and bringing her paws to rest on either side of him.

They sat like that for a few minutes before Spyro broke the embrace. The facility shuddered, the beam growing larger and more powerful.

"Cynder, I have to go now."

"No... please don't go..." Tears poured from her eyes as Spyro walked closer to the console, leaping onto it and looking down at her. He smiled warmly and charismatically at her.

"Hey, I'll be fine. I'll be back before lunch."

She looked at the ground, not helping but smiling as tears dripped down onto the floor.

"You better bring back something good... or don't come back at all." She looked up at him, an awkward smile on her face as it was wet from anguish.

"Oh trust me, I'll bring back something good..." He turned to look at the beam, then back to Cynder.

"I love you Cynder..."

"I love you too... Spyro..." She closed her eyes softly as he smiled down at her. He looked up towards Karson and Allison who had stepped back to give them a moment.

"Get her out of here Karson. Get her to safety. I have no idea what will happen when I initiate this..."

"Right, we'll get her out. You can count on that." Karson crossed his arms, stepping beside Cynder as Allison gave him a smile.

"Take care of yourself Spyro! We want to say bye before leaving, you hear?"Allison yelled from where she stood.

"I'll be back before you know it..." He turned to look at the beam again.

"Now go!" He said from atop the console.

"Come on, let's go!" Karson patted Cynder's shoulder. She turned slowly to move, her head trained to Spyro the entire time as they dashed towards the exit.

Spyro watched them leave, smiling deeply to himself.

"Be safe... Cynder..." He said low enough so only he heard it. He turned back to te beam. He knew what he had to do. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath before opening his wings and stepping into the beam. He only remembered feeling cold and darkness, then warmth and light.

Karson and Allison dashed into the central room, seeing a few of the Marines crouched in the center, holding off hordes of those dark creatures.

"Come on, hold them off!" One of them yelled. Karson saw Anderson, one of the HACOs, standing near the front.

"What's going on down there?" He asked.

"Spyro's going to shut this place down, we're all evacing!" He responded as they dashed over.

"You heard him, let's go!"

With that, they all turned and moved towards the exit, firing periodically as dark creatures continued to leap down from the structure's scaffolding and assault them. Cynder ran in the middle of them, remembering Spyro's echoing words in her head... She closed her eyes softly before reopening them, redetermined.

They dashed up the ramp, seeing light coming from the exit as clouds had started to form around the rift that had come to dominate the sky above the relay. Cynder saw for miles, the burned lands as it looked like the lava had left the surface, only leaving a cold, grey expanse before them. She saw Warfang in the distance, and the ocean beyond. She saw the sun slowly rising in the horizon, a brilliant yellow light casting itself over them and the relay.

The exit came out to a balcony where one of the Human's Nighthawks sat, waiting for them. Aaron and Zephyr hovered nearby, looking bruised and beaten, but well. They saw only Cynder exiting the facility and frowned, but didn't give up their resolve for one moment.

"Get aboard, everyone!" Karson yelled as he and Allison crouched down. They fired a few bursts as creatures leapt towards the balcony.

"Come on, get aboard!" Anderson yelled as the last Marine boarded. Karson nodded, moving towards the center as Allison boarded. He was the last to board, tossing his pack aboard before being helped up by Allison and another Marine.

Cynder turned back towards the relay, seeing Spyro's smiling face looking back at her. She smiled and closed her eyes before turning back and opening her wings. She flew up to join Aaron and Zephyr, not saying a word. They didn't have to ask. They already knew what happened.

The door to the Nighthawk closed, the engines on the aircraft igniting as it shot away from the structure. From where she flew, Cynder could see dozens of the human aircraft flying around, evacuating soldiers from the areas around the relay, all falling back to Warfang as smoke rose from the city. She flew close to the Nighthawk, seeing Krypto join them as well. Roxy and Tom both sat inside of a nearby dropship as she could see them from where she flew, as well as Hunter.

The sun shone brightly on them as she turned to look at the relay one last time. She saw its purple beam continuing to fire into the sky before it slowly shrank, then was consumed by a new beam of golden light that shot forth into the sky. It penetrated the rift above and sent a shockwave through it. As she watched, the four key beams pulsed softly before drawing closer to the center, just as they did when they opened the rift. They met at the center, a bright light coming from the joining of the beams.

Suddenly, light shot forth from inside the relay. Not just from the beam but from every entrance and every hole. Light shot forth across the landscape as the four key beams powered down, diminishing to nothing as the central beam grew in size. The rift was closing above the structure now, it seeming to just melt away in the winds as the beam grew larger and larger.

The beam started to diminish now, slowly shrinking to a small beam before it released one final pulse. This pulse grew to engulf the relay and shot forth to every inch of space surrounding it. The wave blew towards them and the last thing Cynder remembered, was seeing the brightest light she had ever seen in her life.

End of Chapter 39


	40. Dawn of a New Age

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Chapter 40: Dawn of a New Age

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

May 8, 2204

0822 Hours

Unknown Location

Blue skies, that's all she could see.

Cynder opened her eyes, rubbing her head a bit as she saw a pure blue sky above her. There were a few clouds here and there but it was pure blue. She could even see a bird flying just a bit to the right...

Wait, hold on.

Cynder shot up with a jolt, looking all around her. She was surrounded with plants and growth, a soft breeze hitting her scales. All around her were large mushrooms as well, towering just like trees would have, normally.

But... that made no sense.

She stood upright now, looking around more as she noticed she was completely alone...

The soft sounds of leaves rustling all around her, a natural response to the breeze was all she could hear. No sounds of battle... no sounds of death... just...

Silence.

She trotted down a small footpath, stepping over a small creek that ran right through it. The creek emptied out into a nearby gulley, moving stones that looked like they had been there for decades.

Had she died?

Where was she?

Last thing she remembered, they were above the burned lands, escaping the Final Solution... now... she was here. Where was here?

She continued to move down the foot path, climbing up a small hill laced with vines and roots. She grunted as she struggled to get up it, that battle must've taken a lot more out then she thought. Finally she made it over, looking up into the sky.

There, sat a sight she never thought she'd see...

The Dragon Temple sat proudly on a high plateau, overlooking the forest below.

"It can't be..." She muttered lowly.

She stood more upright, moving faster down the path towards the temple in the distance.

Wait, what was she doing?

She unraveled her wings, taking flight into the air and soaring high into the sky. She flew higher and higher, the bright sun casting its rays upon her and giving her strength.

She reached the balcony that sat suspended above the forest, a quick adjustment allowing her to land on the ancient stone. It looked weathered, beaten. It felt... like it had always felt. Like nothing had changed.

She walked towards the dojo doors, opening them slowly. Inside sat a more brightly lit version of the room she had been so used to seeing. More green overgrowth sat along the edges to the walls, unlike the mushrooms that had occupied the room like before.

The giant statue in the center had also changed. Now, instead of resembling a Malefor-like dragon, it looked different. The horns were angular... she couldn't quite place who the dragon looked like.

Walking past the large towering statue, she went deeper in, finding the pool of visions. It sat just as it had always sat, undisturbed.

The door to the next room was sealed shut, though when she approached, it opened.

Inside, a hole in the roof cast a brilliant light down onto the cold stone floor, a small dragon occupying the position.

It was a purple dragon.

It was Spyro.

"Spyro!" Cynder shouted, darting towards the still form.

She skid to the floor as she picked up his head and brought it so she could see it. His nostrils flared with what could only be observed as a normal breath.

He was alive.

"Spyro! Oh God..." She held his head to her chest, pressing it there tightly as tears slowly fell from her face.

"C-cynder...?" She heard a faint, familiar voice.

"Oh Spyro, you're alive... you're alive..." She said, a small crack present in her voice.

"I... I didn't get to bring back anything..." He said lowly, almost jokingly as a smile crept onto his face.

"Shut up, just shut up..." She said, smiling herself as she held him close to her. He brought an arm up weakly and pressed it against her side, pushing himself into her the best way he could.

They sat there in the room for quite some time.

Together.

0835 Hours

"Wow, this place is so beautiful..." Allison said as she removed her dented helmet, looking over the dojo. Karson stood nearby, gripping his rifle as he looked over the room.

He was always quite the soldier, never giving up his alertness, she thought.

Beside them stood a very beaten up Wagner, bruises covering the human commander as most of his armor was too dented to wear, only wearing his ballistic vest that usually sat underneath his metallic armor. A few other Marines trotted in from the balcony into the dojo, accompanied by Aaron, Zephyr, Roxy, Tom and Krypto.

"Spyro! Cynder! Hey, you guys are ok!" Aaron said excitedly as he ran over to Spyro and Cynder who sat beside the dojo statue.

"Yeah, thanks to this one." Cynder said, lightly punching Spyro's shoulder. He let out a chuckle.

"Very well done young dragon, we had no idea you had it in you. Even with our combined strength we were unable to beat the Dark Master. But you... you did it." Terrador said as he walked over from the pool chamber.

"Well we did, we always knew you had it in you young dragon. Ignitus always did believe in you." Cyril interjected.

"Yes he did." Terrador added.

"Stupendous! Marvelous performance young one! Just-" Volteer started off, though Cyril cut him off.

"Not right now dear boy, let Spyro rest. He and his friends deserve it." He said, Volteer laughed at the comment.

"Very well."

"So, what's this about you being a dragon?" Cynder asked, Wagner letting out a laugh as he held his arm.

"Yeah... someone forgot to tell me I had that ability." He admitted, removing his helmet and signature black visor that had almost always covered his eyes. He whipped his forehead clean of sweat, his two blue eyes looking down at the scratched and battered helmet.

"So, that was you, this entire time! You had been following me, leading me to important places. You lead me to Cynder." Spyro commented, remembering the same dragon in every instance.

"You know Spyro, I had no idea I did that. I have no recollection of any time being a dragon- other then the time I helped you against Malefor. Other then that, nothing."

"Well, least your on our side." Spyro said with a smile.

"Yeah no kidding, though you still beat Malefor by yourself."

Spyro only chuckled in response.

"What will you guys do now? You guys can't go home, right?" Cynder asked Wagner.

"I am not sure, We'll have to consult the Colonel and Captain about that one. We still have a war going on at home." He turned to look at the group of Lakadors who had now occupied one side of the dojo.

"Even if these guys are friendly, there's an entire species of them that aren't. We have to get back to the colonies and give whatever help we can. There's still a lot of husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters who want to go on home."

"But your ship is destroyed..." Cynder commented, her voice sounding off lowly.

"Yes... we know."

"That, shouldn't be a problem." They both turned, seeing Rithul walk into the dojo, flanked by another purple dragon- Diablo.

"Diablo?!" Spyro exclaimed, getting the attention of everyone in the room.

"You think a pool of lava can do me in?" He asked with a smug smile.

"I would think so!" Spyro walked over, looking at the dragon closer to make sure all of this was real.

"Well you did a number on me still... thankfully not kill me." He said, rubbing the back of his head.

"You should find your ship in good working order. I brought you here, the least I can do is send you home." He said.

"Wait, you what?" Wagner asked.

"Nothing, for another time." With that, Rithul walked further into the temple, Diablo following.

"Well this is turning out to be an interesting day." Karson commented.

"And it's not even noon yet." Allison laughed.

"Well, I think by noon I could use a nap." Karson threw his arm over Allison, who grabbed it and pressed it more into her, smiling. Karson smiled as well, looking at her for a bit before looking at the two dragons, who chuckled.

Wagner just shook his head.

"Kids." He said.

"Ah come on, you're only 5 years older then us!" Karson said with another laugh.

"Exactly." Wagner walked off with a smug look on his own face, heading to greet Colonel Dyke who just landed at the balcony in a Nighthawk.

Spyro smiled as he looked around the room, seeing numerous individuals ranging from most of the surviving Humans, Lakadors and various other species from Warfang all conversing and talking peacefully. It gave a sense that things were finally at their apex, finally at their finale. He closed his eyes and took in a soft breath. Cynder saw this and smiled, nuzzling him softly along his cheek. Spyro felt this and opened his eyes, smiling at her.

"You know, I finally figured out who the statue up there looks like." Cynder said softly.

"Really? Who does it look like?" Spyro looked up to the statue. It did bear some resemblance to someone, but Spyro hadn't figured it out yet.

"It's you." She said.

"Huh?"

"It's an older version of you- an adult." She stated, pointing up towards the draconic figure. Spyro looked up and saw the dragon did indeed bear all his traits, and more. It didn't make much sense though... But, then again, nothing in the passed few months had. He smiled as he took in another deep breath.

"Yeah, it kinda does." He finally said.

May 8, 2204

"How bad have your men been hit Colonel?" Terrador asked, walking alongside the Human commander with Spyro and the Lakador commander.

"We came here with about 1,314 Marines and Army personnel, about 1,400 Navy personnel. We'll be leaving with about 653 Marines and Army Infantry, and only 400 Navy personnel. We've lost a lot of good men."

"We ourselves have been reduced to but a fraction of our original force of 5,000 warriors. The Dark Master's armies have crippled what few of us remain..." The Lakador commander added, stopping alongside Dyke as they saw a few young dragons cross their path, refugees from a nearby village and on their way to Warfang.

"Though would have been a lot worse, without Spyro there to stop Malefor." Dyke turned to face Spyro, nodding with a smile.

"Thank you." Spyro returned the nod, but wanting to keep a professional face. He didn't want to become arrogant off of this after all.

"It is true Spyro. We all owe you a great debt. You have ensured a future for our species, and probably every species. You stopped the Dark Master from revealing the untold darkness that lay within that weapon..."

"Yeah..." Spyro still wondered. Just what was held within that was so terrifying, so dangerous? Pure darkness he could understand but he knew something bigger and worse was really the truth. It always seemed to be that way. Nothing was so easy...

"What will you do now commander?" Terrador asked.

Dyke sighed, removing his helmet and scratching his head.

"So far, we're trying to salvage the Typhus, or what's left of it. It's FTL core is a little damaged, as well as its reactor. But we can salvage parts from our downed Destroyer outside of Warfang. Though first we have to get it out of the tower its stuck in, we can't do anything before that."

"Rithul said he may have a solution to that." Spyro said, remembering what Rithul had said back in the dojo.

"He did, did he?"

"Yeah, said something about that he brought you guys here, least he can do is send you home."

Dyke looked at Spyro for a bit before smirking and shaking his head.

"You know, I would usually be suspicious of that, but I think I'm just glad I'll have the chance to send some of these men home. They deserve it after what they've been through."

"Commander, I need to talk to you, about your Frigate." Sandowah, the Lakador said, immediately donning a serious composure.

"What is it?"

"As you may know, your Frigate is the closest thing to a space worthy ship out there. Our ships were so severely damaged I don't even dare go near the crash sites as they are spewing energy cascades that could kill someone. We'll have to leave on your vessel."

Dyke sighed.

"I figured this would be the case. You know that would put a huge diplomatic strain on us. I doubt very highly our government will try to negotiate with yours or even try to hear our argument out."

"We are aware of it but we have no other choice. We cannot signal for any assistance out of system and have been unable to since we got here."

"Same here, our FTL comm net was down the moment we entered the system..."

"We'll have to come to some form of consensus then. I will not have my people be subjugated to being POWs or being trapped here."

"You know that even if we can work things out, you may still be some form of POW until we can contact your government in any way, shape or form and to this point, they've only attacked us. We've had no attempts at peace so far."

"I understand... Hopefully this war shall be short. So far I see no reason why we are at war. Our leaders speak of you and your kind being an existential threat to us and our security, though I've seen no plans to undermine us outside of protecting yourselves."

"Yeah, we had no idea of your existence until the attack at Sirus."

Sondowah sighed.

"There're troubling times ahead, for both of our species."

"Agreed..."

"Hopefully your species can come together like it has here, to serve for a better cause. When you work together, look at what you can accomplish." Terrador said, commenting on the situation.

"Yeah, you guys helped me beat the Dark Master and his armies. I don't know if I could have done it without your help." Spyro added.

The two commanders in turn, nodded. Dyke extended his arm out to Sandowah, he returning the favor and shaking it.

"Here's to future peace for our races." Dyke said.

"Agreed. For peace."

Over the next few days, things had really gone along smoothly, which was new to Spyro. He hadn't felt this level of easiness since before the Night of Eternal Darkness several years ago. Even then, they were still preparing for the threat of the Dark Master. The Guardians had officially opened the Dragon Temple overlooking the same old Silver River which overlooked the same old Warfang in the distance.

Things had sharply improved as well. Over the course of the first few weeks, dragons had been pouring in from all the surrounding areas. Many of them were refugees, seeking a new life now that the Dark Master was truly gone. Many came from the mountains, remote villages, deep jungle regions... from anywhere imaginable. They flocked to the Temple and to Warfang for protection. Many of the Humans left, as well as the Lakadors, worked on the Human Frigate "Typhus", which had been repaired by Rithul.

From what Spyro surmised, he had somehow removed the ship from the tower it was embedded in and at least sealed a lot of the hull breaches. Spyro had NO idea how he did that, but he wasn't about to spend a month dwelling on it. The Humans and Lakadors were busy now rigging its "FTL drive" as they called it, to work properly, so they could leave for home. Volteer wasn't shy about wanting to help, and he did give tremendous help. He'd travel to the Typhus every day, helping to rig the FTL with the help of Cyril and occasionally Terrador. Rithul and Diablo also helped, rigging it with crystals to boost the power since the ship was so heavily damaged. The... nuclear reactor? Was that what he heard Karson call it?

The "reactor" was what powered the ship, but he also heard Karson say it was badly damaged. He heard something about a SCRAM sequence and something about a partial meltdown. He seemed to have a pretty worried face when he talked about it. Spyro wasn't too concerned unless alarm was risen however. After all, Spyro was finally getting to enjoy a life without war. It felt so...

Good.

He was so happy to just lay down and relax now, especially with someone special by his side. He smiled, thinking about Cynder. They had gone through so much together... He was so happy that they had both come through strong together...

Krypto had left by now, gone to search for his home world once again. Aaron, Zephyr, Tom and Roxy had stayed, helping to rebuild the much devastated city of Warfang. It was badly damaged from the fighting, but now they had a lot of help rebuilding. Several of the refugee villages that had since sprung up along the coastline had rallied to Warfang, giving any aid they could.

The Guardians had also started to seek a new Fire Guardian, as well as other positions to fill the other elements. Many had recommended Spyro for the position... but Spyro was content to rest for a while. After all, he didn't get this chance too often. He was ready to soak up as much as he could before he was inevitably needed again because hey, that's always the case.

That and there were so many unanswered questions from before that still racked his mind. The Final Solution... just what sat beyond that Malefor was so excited to bring back? Spyro sighed. He was sure that answer would reveal itself in time...

For now, he sat along the balcony overlooking the valley and Warfang. It looked like it had 3 years ago... nothing had changed... Though the sky looked brighter, and today he could see for miles out to sea. It was a truly beautiful sight. Cynder sat next to him, enjoying the beautiful view as well. He could argue she was even more beautiful, but for now, he enjoyed the cooling sights that were to be held up there.

"You know it's not over, right?" She said, breaking the silence.

"What's not over?"

"We still have all this rebuilding to do. Not to mention all the villages and tribes fighting one another and..."

"Whoa, one thing at a time. Besides, I'm trying to not think about them right now." He said, rolling over on his back so his stomach soaked up the rays.

"Oh, now look who's mister relaxation... I'd have never guessed." Cynder said with a chuckle, standing up.

"Hey! I can't enjoy one beautiful day?" He said, looking at her with his paws pressed against his chest.

She laughed.

"Well I didn't say that..." She cooed, leaning down to him.

"Well, why don't... you join me..." He leaned into her as well, their lips nearing.

"Hey Spyro! Mom and Dad want to congratulate you on a job well done!" Sparx flew in, hovering over them as he broke the scene. They both gave him a glare, he backing up while sneering, flying away. Spyro chuckled.

"Well, I'd better go see Mom and Dad. I haven't seen them in years... Hey, why don't you come meet them?" He said while standing up. Cynder smirked before pinning him to the ground.

"Yes, but this first." She sealed their lips in a kiss for a bit, he closing his eyes and relaxing his body before she pulled back.

"There, now let's go see your parents." She said while standing back up. He smirked up at her while getting up as well. With that, they both trotted back into the temple.

May 23, 2204

1134 Hours

Today was it. Today was the big day...

Spyro sat on the balcony once more, a Nighthawk hovering nearby as it flared its engines to keep aloft. Karson and Allison walked over with their things, though they only really had their weapons, armor and a few personal things they had brought with them on the ship. They were followed by Wagner, Dyke, the Lakador commander and a few other Marines.

The Frigate Typhus hovered over them, fully repaired and according to Rithul, fully space worthy. From what he had heard, the Frigate had taken severe damage back in Warfang. Its hull was breached in several locations, and power was down throughout the ship. Somehow, they managed to patch up all the holes with Rithul's help. He never told Spyro just how he did it, and he suspected the Humans didn't know too much about it either.

"Are you sure commander, that my people will not be immediately jailed and held as POWs when we enter your space?" Sandowah, the Lakador Commander inquired as they prepared to board the drop ship.

"I'll try to negotiate with Command, but if worse comes to worse, you'll need a back door exit out of here. I promise you that. I will not break my part of the bargain." Dyke responded.

"I would be in debt to you if you did. You are doing a great thing for me and my men. If it comes to that, I promise I will not forget this."

With that, Dyke climbed onto the ship, turning and extending a hand for Sandowah to grasp. The Lakador grabbed onto the Human's arm and pulled himself aboard, turning to see the dragons standing on the balcony again. Spyro smiled, he was glad that the two had come to reconcile their differences. Now if only they could convince their species to get along like that had... Time would only tell.

"We thank all of you, for what you have done for the Realms." Terrador's deep baritone voice came in from behind Spyro, causing him to turn. All three of the Guardians had massed on the balcony behind them.

"Didn't look like we had much of a choice. Whatever happened here in the realms would mean certain doom for all our people back home. We had to stop the Dark Master." Dyke said, pressing his balled up fist into his open palm for emphasis.

"We were all in this together. I just hope our Commanders back home can understand that." Sandowah said as well.

"Best of luck to both of you." Terrador said with a smile.

"Good luck Spyro, and I hope you guys can fully rebuild this time. I'm just sorry we weren't able to stay behind and help." Wagner shrugged as he said that, stepping back to take a seat along the edge of the troop bay's entrance.

"We would but I'd like to see home, haven't see it in years." Karson added.

"That and there's still a war going on back home..." Allison frowned as she stated that. She grabbed onto the side of the aircraft and pulled herself in, turning back to face them as Karson helped the last soldier on board.

"Hey, maybe after your war you guys can visit the realms again!" Cynder said with a smile.

"Maybe, though no telling how long this conflict will last..." Wagner seemed pretty glum about it but Spyro smirked nonetheless.

"Good luck to you guys! Hope you guys can resolve it peacefully!" Spyro said. Wagner put on a smirk this time.

"That'd be even better!" He said as the aircraft's engines flared again, preparing to take off.

"Bye guys! See you around some time!" Aaron called out as he saw the departing aircraft.

Allison and Karson waved to him and Zephyr who just joined Aaron in the doorway, waving at them. The aircraft pulled up and tilted slightly so it could climb better. It ascended up towards the Typhus, entering a large hole along its side just before the doors sealed behind it. Just after the doors sealed, they saw it hover for a bit longer before its main engines fired again. The Frigate thundered over the Temple and swooped back around back towards Warfang before ascending into the clouds over the waters beyond. Spyro watched it turn into a speck in the sky before it wasn't visible anymore.

Spyro had finally stopped waving by that time, just looking at the pure blue skies now. He looked back down, seeing the fruits of their labor. The mushroom forest below looked better than ever, and the pristine waters beyond illuminated the scene to something he could never have imagined when he first stood in this very spot all those years ago.

"Come young dragon, there are several new arrivals who wish to see you." Terrador instructed as he turned, motioning towards the temple.

"New arrivals?" He asked.

"New Dragons who have come in, they've all heard about you, and want to see you in person." Terrador responded.

Spyro trotted towards the temple, Cynder in tow. He wondered just how many more dragons had survived to make it to the Temple. He smiled a bit at the thought, glad that his species wasn't a dying breed after all. Up until a few years ago, he thought only he and the guardians were the last dragons alive. He was glad that he was wrong about that. Maybe now, they could really rebuild as a species. Maybe now, they could finally know peace after millennia of conflict and war. Then again, that's what he thought after they defeated the Dark Master months ago. Still, he felt very, very optimistic.

End of the Spyro Chronicles

Credits

Written by NewLegend1

Co-written and edited by DarkStriker1

Story assistants and consultants

DarkStriker1

Lithium-Dragon

Iceflame1019

Sgr_Snipes

Original Version by NewLegend1, with help from Iceflame1019, FrostDragon and SilentRampancy

Characters belong to...

Aaron Dragonfreak1112

Zephyr ViralCatalyst

Roxy and Tom Roxydragoness

Krypto Kryptangel92

Singe Singe89

Spyro, Cynder and all related characters belong to Activision/Blizzard

Karson, Wagner, Allison, The Shadow, Rithul, Diablo, the dragon settlements of Gale, Dale, the Lakadors and the United Earth Republic belong to me

Shoutouts

I'd like to firstly give a big shout out to DarkStriker and Snipes, they have been INSTRUMENTAL in writing this. Trust me, I've only scratched the surface but the real infrastructure has been laid down with their help. I'd also like to thank Lithium-Dragon for all of her help as well. Between our rps and swapping of ideas, I've gotten a big boost in inspirations and story elements I'd have otherwise missed or not implemented ahead of writing this to avoid plot holes later on. Go watch all of them, comment on their pages, spam them, send them death threats, whatever you want XD

I'd also love to send a shout out to Iceflame1019. If it wasn't for his help, I wouldn't have been able to crack at some storytelling problems or different perspectives on telling a Spyro fanfiction. Thanks to writers like him, FrostDragon and Kroqgar, I managed to really paint together the ideas I needed to start a proper fanfiction. Oh and don't get me started on FrostDragon's Return of Darkness. To me, it is the single best piece of Spyro fanfiction on the internet. It might have some age on it, but I still hold it with prestige. I remember I saw it one day and skimmed over one of the chapters. 9 hours later I finished reading the whole thing and I was just... stunned. He got me back into Spyro, The Legend of Spyro namingly. I was a "purist" back then, believing the series died after the third game. (PS1 trilogy) I remember hating Enter the Dragonfly or at least being turned off by it. I never touched A Hero's Tail and I remember my friend Andrew (Sgr Snipes) telling me about this new game "The Legend of Spyro" I had no idea what to make of it, I thought it sounded pretty stupid. Though the more he talked about Spyro being a special purple dragon and this "Dark Master" I was kinda interested, but it never went farther then that. Fast forward 4 years and a couple of days after I finished Return of Darkness, I was scrambling to get my hands on a copy of "A New Beginning" XD My how things change...

Next thing I knew I was writing my own fanfiction. After that I was planning out this massive trilogy ending in the most spectacular way imaginable. I ultimately stopped and started this reboot though for a few main reasons. Central, was that with DotD's release, I couldn't be able to maintain the inspiration that drove me to write the original. Secondly, the story was morphing after the fact, so parts earlier made little sense or were just crazy and out of whack. I had to change it before it got to the point of no return. I ended up shooting myself in the foot halfway through this one too and that's why I stopped for a while there. I felt I had wrote something terrible that held no water to my original, but after sitting and thinking for a while, I managed to iron out all the plot holes without shooting my other foot off and I started to get back on track. Truth be told, I had spent so much time away from writing I actually had to _reread _my chapters to remember what I had written XD. God... Now finally, several years later I'm writing the epilogue...

I'd also like to send a big shout out to you, the readers. Thanks to you, my readers for showing me this is still read (somewhat) and that it was worth reaching the end to this. I am excited to start on the next iteration immediately and get the ball rolling for the ultimate prize down the road... Until then, NewLegend1 logging off.

/ALERT!/ALERT!/

/

/BEGIN UNPACKING.../

Standing By...

Data Loaded

Decrypting...

Done

/ERROR/

Error 2322.1 No Date Available

Location Unknown

"So, it appears the Dark Master has failed. How unfortunate."

There was a silent huff as the large figure dominating the room shifted on his crystalline throne. His tail flickered a bit before slipping back into the shadows, slipping away from what little light was entering the room.

"What does Master wish to do about this?" A softer voice asked, coming from another part of the room.

"Bring me the agent I had dispatched to the Realms. Have him executed for his failure."

"Right my Lord."

"Oh, and one more thing. The Dark Master may still prove to be useful as well as this "Spyro". Find them both and bring them here. I will require both of their help if I want to make this new plan succeed..."

"Right Lord... Though... Spyro, his heart is still pure. How does Master wish to contend with that?"

"All hearts can be tainted, even young Spyro. Have my next in line commander bring them here."

"Right Master, I shall do it with most haste."

"Good, let's hope there are no interruptions this time around... If not, we still have the Harbinger of Darkness to aid us..."

System Online

September 23, 2204

0453 Hours

Several Hundred Miles Below the Surface of the Realms

Silence filled the empty grave.

Rocks and debris filled what used to be the Final Solution's firing chamber. Darkness filled every aspect of it, save for the pools of lava that sat at the base of the structure. The light was only able to fill some of the void, but the buried super weapon sat silent and dark.

A lone crystal sat on the platform sitting in front of the command console, sitting still just as Spyro and the others had left it when they had defeated Malefor.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed through the halls, disrupting the silence that had come to dominate the scene. It was soon followed by several sets of footsteps, all ringing out in the dark hallways until they approached the lone crystal as it sat on the platform, all beginning to surround and isolate the crystal.

"Is this him...?"

"Yes... bring him to Master, he will be pleased..."

Snarling and clanging sounds were audible as the figures shuffled and moved to transport the crystal.

Two lone yellow eyes watched from a distance, trained on the object as it glowed softly against the light being emitted from the lava lakes nearby.

The figure bided his time, counting softly to himself.

He only had one clean shot after all.

A bright purple beam suddenly split the darkness, immediately illuminating the area to reveal a dozen or so humanoid figures lead by a dragon-like figure standing at the forefront.

The beam connected with the dragon in front, sending him back several feet. The figures, large bulking husks similar to the drones Spyro and his friends had encountered months ago, lumbered around, their eyes scanning for the source of the blast.

The attacker sat in silence before moving, his talons scraping the floor and giving away his position.

The drones immediately reacted, raising their arms and firing bolts of purple energy at him. The attacker leapt to the side, taking flight to land on another platform before sprinting to take cover from their retaliatory fire. He hid in the shadows, relying on the sounds of their weapons discharging to hide his movements.

By this time the dragon commander had gotten back up, firing a purple bolt into the air to act as a flare, illuminating the entire chamber.

The attacker, known by the name he had given to Spyro as "the Shadow", sat on the opposite side of the chamber, before the firing core so they couldn't see him. The drones continued to scan the room before the Shadow closed his eyes. He took in a deep breath before opening them again, leaping up into the air so he was above them.

"There is the beast, kill him!" Their leader shouted.

Before they could do anything, he released a field of yellow energy that blasted all of them away, the drones being vaporized and the dragon commander landing in the lava nearby. The dragon seemed unfazed however, climbing out in time to watch the Shadow grab the crystal and fly out into the atrium. There a bright purple light glowed around him before it was overtaken by a blue flash.

The Shadow was gone.

0522 Hours

The Shadow sat along the banks of the silver river, its reflective orange waters looking back at him. Beside the large dragon sat the almost equally large purple crystal that used to be the Dark Master. The Shadow looked up, seeing the Dragon Temple in the distance, just down from where he was. He looked to the crystal beside him and placed his claws on it.

"What a tragedy, lost in its prime." He said softly. He opened his eyes, running his talons along the crystalline surface until it started to emit a soft glow. The Shadow stepped back, allowing the process to play out.

It wasn't long before the light grew brighter then faded, revealing a small dragon about Spyro's size. The dragon was Malefor- a younger Malefor.

"The powers of darkness are strong... you should know firsthand young one."

He turned his head to look up at the temple.

"Spyro will need all the help he can get in these upcoming battles. Even from you." He turned down once more to the sleeping form along the river banks. He reached over, lifting the dragon on his shoulder and moving him to the river. He grabbed a nearby lily pad that was floating, it being large enough to support Malefor. He set the young dragon on it and let the pad float away from the banks. It stayed afloat amazingly, carrying the young dragon down the river and towards the base of the plateau where the Dragon Temple sat.

"Good luck young one. The path ahead will be hard and perilous, but I know you can get it down. Atone for your sins, and aid in the upcoming battles. We are all counting on you all."

The Shadow took in a soft breath.

"Until the foretold one comes..."

_error/

Transmission End

Log Off User jdamevand

Logging Off

Author's Comments: Hey guys, here's the finished story now ^^ I feel better now that I've finished the story here. Now, I can start uploading my new story here, the sequel to this. Here's where I ask you guys a question: The next story I tried to tone down but gets a little more violent so I am considering raising the rating to M for violent scenes. Would you guys be ok with that if I did that?

Other than that, expect to see these chapters uploaded soon (I hope…) If anyone's still around to read this, am glad you guys stuck around to see this story finished, but it's just beginning…


	41. Announcement

Author's Comments: Hey guys, NewLegend here. I just wanted to say that I've launched the sequel to this story, The Malefor Chronicles here on fanfiction. The story is rated M for violence and possible adult scenes which I'm still pondering the inclusion of. The violence in TMC is slightly more and I thought it would be unavoidable with the direction of the story. I'll be updating it as regularly as I can so go check out the first chapter.


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